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Monday,  October 7, 2024   2:21 PM
Celebrity addresses lack of diversity in travel marketing with new image library
Celebrity has launched an open-source library of images that depict underrepresented groups in travel marketing. Photo credits: Naima Green (left); Jarrad Seng (top, right); Annie Leibovitz (bottom, right)

Celebrity Cruises is making waves as it sets out to change the meaning of “all-inclusive” in the travel industry.

Recognizing the need to improve the representation of all people who travel in travel marketing materials, the cruise line has created both a new campaign and what it says is the world’s first free to use, “open source” travel image library.

The campaign and collection – The All-Inclusive Photo Project’ (AIPP) – aims to start a movement, calling on travel companies to address the lack of diversity in travel marketing imagery.

The new images were unveiled on Tuesday (March 29) and feature the work of acclaimed photographers including: famed portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz; Giles Duley, an English documentary photographer and a triple amputee; Naima Green, a Black, queer New York-based photographer; and Jarrad Seng, an Australia-based photographer, filmmaker and creative director of Malaysian-Chinese descent.

Recording artist John Forté enjoys family time on board. (Annie Leibovitz)

The collection features models, musicians, athletes, artists, activists, refugees and more, all change-makers in their own right from underrepresented groups, as they enjoy the varied offerings on Celebrity’s ships and within the destinations visited.

Inclusive travel marketing

Celebrity will make dozens of the images available via an open-source online library for other travel brands and companies to use. 

“For far too long, ‘all-inclusive’ in the travel industry has meant everything on your vacation is included in one price. We set out to challenge this conventional thinking by imagining the phrase through the lens of others,” said Celebrity’s President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. “What Annie and all of the talented artists involved in this project have captured so beautifully, is that for vacations to really live up to the marketing moniker ‘all-inclusive,’ then they should start by using images that are inclusive of all, not just a few.”

Model/actresses Saxsen Norton, Hero Otway & GeoVanna Gonzalez, a Miami-based artist, enjoy drinks at Sunset Bar on Celebrity Edge. (Naima Green)

“We want our marketing – as with everything we do as a cruise line – to represent how the world looks, and what we experience on our ships daily, as guests and crew from all walks of life work and play together to create a really special onboard environment.”

READ MORE: Celebrity unveils ad aimed at safe travel, advancing inclusion in marketing

Michael Scheiner, Celebrity’s chief marketing officer, added: “As global brands, we have a powerful platform to act as a catalyst of positive change. We know we have more work to do and we hope we inspire others to join us on this important journey. By leveraging our collective travel industry might, we can begin to make travel marketing truly ‘all-inclusive.’”

Recently engaged couple, Tim and Sheehan, share a kiss. (Giles Duley)

Change-makers

Framed through the lenses of Leibovitz and the other AIPP photographers, the images feature the change-makers experiencing the wonder of travel and include:

Photographed by Annie Leibovitz:

  • Jillian Mercado, a professional model in the fashion industry with muscular dystrophy, enjoying a new culinary experience on a Celebrity ship;
  • John Forté, a Black recording artist who rose to stardom with multi-platinum hip-hop group The Fugees and now works with at-risk youth to deter them from drugs and crime, making memories with his family on their first cruise ship sailing together;
  • Abby Chava Stein, the first openly transgender woman raised in an Hasidic community and a direct descendant of Hasidic Judaism’s founder, the Baal Shem Tov, basking in the sunlight on the Resort Deck of a Celebrity Cruises ship.

Waris Singh Ahluwalia, a Sikh American designer, actor & activist, meditates in his stateroom. (Annie Leibovitz)

Photographed by Giles Duley:

  • Amy Conroy, pictured playing volleyball on the beaches of Spain, who was diagnosed with cancer at age 12, and, after a year of chemotherapy and a leg amputation, went on to be play Wheelchair Basketball for Great Britain as a three-time Paralympian, U25 World Champion and MVP, and Senior World and European Silver Medalist.

Amy Conroy, a British Paralympic basketballer, high-fives model Tim, on the beach. (Giles Duley)

Photographed by Naima Green

  • Micah Ramos, a Filipino, non-binary model who loves being a catalyst for individuality, shown enjoying vacation time on a Caribbean island.

Micah Ramos, a non-binary model, lounges on the Retreat Sundeck on Celebrity Edge. (Naima Green)

Photographed by Jarred Seng

  • Ester Onek, a social worker, advocate and refugee from the South Sudan, who made her way to Australia in 2003, depicted enjoying the beaches of Margaret River in western Australia.

Celebrity Cruises will launch the AIPP collection as a dedicated brand advertising campaign in early April.

Esther Onek, social worker, advocate and refugee, enjoys a poolside drink. (Jarrad Seng)

It follows a global campaign the brand introduced last September, called “Journey WonderFULL,” marking a new approach for the brand and major step to advance diversity and inclusivity in its own travel marketing with a wide range of diverse travellers depicted.

The initiative adds to Celebrity’s other barrier-breaking initiatives, including: an intentional effort begun in 2015 to attract more women to the maritime industry, where only two per cent of mariners are female, that led to the appointment of the first American female captain, Kate McCue; the first West African woman to work on the bridge of a cruise ship; the 2020 history-making all-female Bridge and Leadership team sailing; and the recent announcement that 32% of the brand’s Bridge officers are now women; embracing same-sex marriages at sea and conducting the largest, annual Pride Party at sea; and, the first cruise line to eliminate 90 percent of single-use plastics across its fleet. 

Travelers and LGBTQ+ activists, Aisha and Lexie, have a drink by The Retreat sundeck onboard Celebrity Apex. (Giles Duley)

For more info on the photographers and talent featured in the AIPP campaign, consumers can go here

Travel brands and companies interested in accessing the AIPP library, which Celebrity Cruises will continue to add images to over time, can click here


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