Flight Centre and Tourism New Zealand
Player One trend turns inspiration into real bookings
Goal
Gamers and travellers may not seem like a natural pairing, but Flight Centre and Tourism New Zealand saw an opportunity to connect them. To coincide with Warner Bros.’ A MINECRAFT MOVIE, filmed in New Zealand, Flight Centre partnered with Tourism New Zealand to celebrate the release and spotlight the country as a must‑visit destination.
Flight Centre and Tourism New Zealand set out to tap into Minecraft’s cultural relevance to reach new audiences, spark interest in New Zealand and drive holiday bookings. Pinterest was the natural home for the idea, where people come to dream, plan and act on travel.
Strategy
Choosing to lead rather than follow, the campaign was anchored in the “Player One” trend from Pinterest Predicts. The team built a custom Minecraft persona and showed up where players already gather, Pinterest’s vibrant Minecraft community.
Every asset, from Premiere Spotlight to standard video and image ads, carried a distinctive, block‑style, adventure‑ready look that made New Zealand feel like a natural extension of the Minecraft universe, positioning it as the ultimate real‑world level to unlock.
The campaign also proved Pinterest’s full‑funnel strength. Premiere Spotlight ignited awareness at launch, while layered mid‑ and lower‑funnel tactics helped drive consideration and conversions, delivering a clear journey from inspiration to action.
“
Pinterest’s Player One trend unlocked new audiences we had not considered or reached before. The Minecraft-themed creative drove strong engagement, moving inspired gamers and travel intenders from simply dreaming about New Zealand to planning and booking.”
Rachael Green
Marketing Leader, Flight Centre Australia
43%
Higher unique reach than standard targeting
2x
Higher conversion rate for users exposed to both Spotlight and action campaigns
Results
By targeting gamers, Minecraft enthusiasts, and adventure-seekers, the campaign reached 43% new and unique audiences beyond traditional travel campaigns on Pinterest. When the Spotlight campaign went live it claimed the #1 share of voice among Australian travel brands during the spotlight takeover.1
Even better? People who saw both the awareness Spotlight and lower-funnel campaigns converted at twice the rate of typical campaigns. The multi-touch approach didn't just reach new people, it helped move them to action.1
25%
Higher engagement rate compared to Australian travel vertical benchmarks
26%
More efficient CPM for Trend Badge creative ads versus Standard creative ads
Explore Related Resources
Premiere Spotlight
Spotlight helped Flight Centre and Tourism New Zealand dominate share of voice in the competitive travel space. Learn how to maximize awareness with help from Pinterest's premium ad format.
Pinterest Trends
Flight Centre's and Tourism New Zealand’s Player One trend sponsorship shows how brands can ride the wave of cultural moments. Discover how to leverage trending topics for your campaigns.