Vacation Outlet Aims Marketing Blitz at Boston Area Consumers; With Ad-Wrapped Cars, Even CEOs Get into the Marketing Act

WOBURN, Mass.--Sept. 20, 2004--Travel retailer Vacation Outlet (www.vacationoutlet.com) is launching a full-court press of advertising and marketing designed to reintroduce the brand to consumers in Greater Boston. The orchestrated effort, ranging from car wraps and guerilla marketing to an animated character brought to life with personal appearances, is the largest-scale marketing initiative in the company's 20-year history.

Highlighting the blitz are striking lime-green car wraps. Now through December, Vacation Outlet is taking to the roads throughout Boston with SUVs wrapped in Vacation Outlet messaging and bright, eye-catching images. At designated stops, drivers will hand out magnets and fliers covered in vacation deals. Not to be left out of the fun, the company's co-CEOs, CFO, and a dozen other Vacation Outlet employees will sport mini-wrapped cars.

Who's Jessie?

Central to the reinvigorated Vacation Outlet brand is "Jessie." She's a travel expert in her mid-30s whose animated likeness appears alongside her "Jessie's Picks" deals in print ads, weekly emails, and on the Vacation Outlet website. Jessie is based on a real-life Vacation Outlet staffer who has traveled extensively and has a flair for trendy fashions. Personal appearances by Jessie are scheduled this fall.

A guerilla marketing campaign calls for 50,000 Vacation Outlet refrigerator magnets to be canvassed around Boston. In a shift from previous brand strategies, some magnets and other marketing pieces take an edgier tone in communicating the company's toll-free number: "For a Good Time, Call..." It's all in the name of piquing consumers' interest. Vacation Outlet is encouraging employees to spread the magnets all over the city for consumers to take. A company contest is being held, rewarding the most unique magnet placement based on photo submissions.

Vacation Outlet is debuting full-page color ads in the Boston Metro Newspaper, introducing Jessie to the public. The paper, free to all commuters and distributed across the city, boasts a circulation of 150,000 readers daily in the metropolitan Boston area. To top it off, newspaper hawkers wearing lime-green Vacation Outlet t-shirts will spend several days handing out Vacation Outlet magnets with the paper, which will be wrapped entirely in a Vacation Outlet ad.

Finally, Vacation Outlet billboards are up on several busy roads from South Boston to the Financial District. The message: "All the best, for less. Same trips as the big guys. Better deals. Seriously."

"We've made significant advancements through the years," said Brad Gerstner, co-CEO of Vacation Outlet parent company NLG. "Over the past few years, we've spent millions of dollars on sophisticated technology and invested heavily in training for our sales agents. We now have 16 retail store locations throughout New England, a world-class website, and a 24-hour call center staffed with more than 300 expert agents."

"While some New Englanders may still think of Vacation Outlet as the charter-only travel agency in Filene's Basement, in actuality we now offer thousands of vacations and cruises all over the world," said Jessica Labaire, Brand Manager of Vacation Outlet and Jessie namesake. "We want to drive home the message to consumers that these days Vacation Outlet is in the same league with the 'big guys.'"

Launched in 1986 with a single downtown Boston kiosk, Vacation Outlet grew rapidly and added retail locations throughout New England. In the '90s, Vacation Outlet expanded into cyberspace with www.vacationoutlet.com and gained customers across the country. For over a decade, the company has run the largest consumer travel event in the U.S. - Vacation Outlet Expo, held annually in Boston each January. The 2005 event is scheduled for January 21-23 at the new Seaport World Trade Center.

About Vacation Outlet

Each year, Vacation Outlet sends thousands of people on vacations and cruises around the globe. Travelers choose their trips or weekend getaways from a vast selection of travel packages and last-minute deals on the world's best resorts, hotels, and cruise lines. Longstanding relationships with trusted brand-name partners mean the best offers for each and every customer. Vacation Outlet now features "Jessie's Picks" - a handful of the week's absolute hottest travel deals. Each is handpicked by Jessie, a real-life travel expert whose insider's know-how guarantees visitors great trips at particularly attractive prices. For outstanding deals, visit www.vacationoutlet.com or call 800-690-2210. Vacation Outlet is one of the flagship brands of NLG, a leading leisure travel provider.