Dive Brief:
- Priceline is revamping a Negotiator character made famous in the 2000s as consumers grapple with rising travel costs ahead of the summer, according to a press release shared with Marketing Dive.
- The travel-booking platform ran a search for its next Negotiator on TikTok, an effort that culminates with William Shatner, who formerly held the role, passing the baton to actor Randall Park. In a new 60-second spot, “Handoff,” Shatner responds to spiking travel prices by calling on Park, who comedically exercises his skills at battling inflation and serving up discounts.
- “Unbummer Your Summer” is running across broadcast, streaming, audio, social and online video while Priceline is also sponsoring ad-free experiences on Pandora, HBO Max, Peacock and Tubi to reinforce the value theme. The campaign arrives as the Iran war leads to soaring oil prices and travel disruption globally.
Dive Insight:
Priceline is resurrecting a character that employs James Bond-like skills to combat costs as consumers feel more pain at the pump and rethink already costly vacations. The Negotiator’s return responds both to the current affordability crisis and ongoing nostalgia for cultural touchstones from the 2000s, with the latter trend driven by Gen Z audiences who came of age during the era.
“Unbummer Your Summer” helps promote Priceline’s largest summer sale to date, which runs through May 25 and boasts offers like slashing up to 60% off of vacation packages. Priceline cited findings that show 44% of surveyed U.S. consumers feel summer travel seems out of their reach this but 73% still want to realize their vacation plans. The brand will publish a more in-depth report on the topic next month.
“Bringing back the Negotiator was a deliberate decision to put Priceline’s promise to travelers front and center during a travel affordability crisis,” said Lesley Klein, senior vice president of strategy and brand marketing at Priceline, in a press statement. “This is the time to show up for them. By leaning into something people have long known and loved about Priceline, we’re reinforcing our commitment to helping travelers get the deals they need to make travel happen.”
In lead spot “Handoff,” Shatner is shown relaxing on a beach in retirement before a report on the state of travel spurs him back into action. He immediately phones Park at Priceline’s headquarters, who demonstrates he’s up for the task by sparring with a dummy labeled “vacation inflation” and punching through a “travel FOMO” wooden plank. Priceline said it will introduce more ads and deals centered on the Negotiator throughout the summer.
Shatner, who was already a longstanding spokesperson for Priceline, made the Negotiator a recognizable icon of advertising beginning in 2007, with the character’s comedic antics backed by a catchy musical sting exclaiming, “Price-line Negotiator!” Priceline sunset the concept, originally conceived by agency Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and anchored around TV ad campaigns. Kaley Cuoco also served as Priceline’s travel-savvy spokesperson for over a decade after initially being introduced as the Negotiator’s daughter in 2013.
“Unbummer Your Summer” updates the Negotiator for 2026, with a fresh face for the character in Park and a bigger emphasis on social channels. Shatner, now 95, recently led an interview search for his replacement on TikTok by leveraging the platform’s Duet feature. Priceline has also reworked the Negotiator’s signature musical cue with DJ David. The remix will appear on TikTok and other social platforms during the summer season to catch the attention of a new generation of travelers, the announcement said.
Creative agency Mirimar developed “Unbummer Your Summer” with media support from PHD. Public relations is led by Small Girls PR while Hello There Collective is handling social media on the effort.
Other travel-booking sites are retooling their marketing strategies to better engage Gen Zers who have tuned out traditional media. Expedia last month became the first official travel partner of IShowSpeed, a leading livestream creator known for his globe-trotting endeavors.
