NEW BOOKING.COM AD CAMPAIGN WITH ACTRESS & PRODUCER MELISSA MCCARTHY AIMS TO INSPIRE TRAVELERS TO BOOK "SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE"

Airing live for the first time during the "big game" on February 12, Booking.com will give away half a million dollars in travel credits with 50 lucky winners receiving $10,000 each

NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Booking.com, the leading digital travel app with a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, is launching a new ad campaign to show that booking a trip is half the fun. Starring Emmy Award winning, Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated American actress and producer, Melissa McCarthy, this continuation of the beloved Booking.yeah campaign will debut live during the upcoming "big game" on February 12, during which Booking.com will once again be giving away half a million dollars in vacations. A sneak peak of the ad can be found on YouTube.com/Bookingcom.

With 73%* of U.S. travelers saying they enjoyed the experience of booking their last trip, as well as 73%** of Americans reporting that travel will always be worth it and that they are overwhelmingly optimistic about traveling this year, Booking.com is here to help travelers find and book "Somewhere, Anywhere," the mantra of the brand's new ad campaign with Melissa McCarthy. The comedic spots, which include cameos by Melissa's husband, American actor, comedian and filmmaker Ben Falcone, focus on how Booking.com makes booking a trip easy, reliable and fun, with the widest choice of places to stay. The brand aims for all travelers to truly have the "Booking.yeah" feeling - from the minute they start exploring the array of amazing hotels, homes and unique properties on the site, to hitting the "book" button and then excitedly anticipating their journey ahead, and of course, enjoying the trip itself.

"The joy and excitement we get from traveling and exploring the world, or even taking a short trip close to home, gives us such wonderful memories. Every time my family travels, we come back as a little bit better versions of ourselves and we're immediately inspired to start daydreaming about our next trip. I'm tickled pink to be working with Booking.com as their #1 Travel Fan," said Melissa McCarthy. "The fun of travel starts with a world of possibilities, so I hope the ad gives everybody the inspiration to book their next trip with Booking.com and bring their travel dreams to life. Of course, all of this is to be done while singing "Somewhere, Anywhere."

To kick off the campaign, Booking.com will give away half a million dollars in vacation funds - 50 winners will receive $10,000 each in travel credits - to explore the amazing "Somewhere, Anywhere" destinations across the U.S. and the world. Just follow @bookingcom on Instagram or TikTok and leave a comment on any Booking.com giveaway post noting the "Somewhere, Anywhere" you want to go using #ShareYourAnywhere along with #Sweepstakes to be entered for a chance to win $10,000 in travel credits to use on Booking.com. The entry period for the giveaway begins on February 7, 2023 at 12:00pm EST, and ends February 19 at 11:59pm EST, with winners chosen at random. For more information on how to enter, visit Booking.com's social channels (Instagram.com/bookingcom, Tiktok.com/bookingcom) and for the Official Rules, visit www.promoterms.com/shareyouranywhere.

With creative developed by Zulu Alpha Kilo and Mindshare managing the media strategy and planning, the integrated campaign will run across TV - including prime time - audio streaming, online and social channels, through the end of April with a second rollout in the summer. The campaign includes a mix of :30 and :15 second commercials, including the "big game" spot - "Melissa McCarthy in 'Somewhere, Anywhere'" - as well as "Vacay in the USA," "Perfect Vacation Rental," "Room Service," and "Double Booked." All of the ads, including a teaser video released earlier this month, as well as a soon-to-be-released extended two minute version of "Melissa McCarthy in Somewhere, Anywhere" (Full Musical) can be viewed on YouTube.com/Bookingcom.

"Booking.com is committed to helping American travelers find and book the perfect trip by offering the widest choice of places to stay - from hotels to homes - as well as a highly intuitive app - the #1 most downloaded online travel app in the U.S. last year*** - making the booking process easy and fun," says Arjan Dijk, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com. "This year's Booking.yeah campaign aims to showcase that Booking.com is the most reliable platform to book a trip, no matter where travelers want to go, with features including instantly bookable vacation rentals, free cancellation on most bookings, verified reviews, great deals and more. The incomparably talented Melissa McCarthy truly helped bring the creative to life with the message that we hope will resonate with Americans - the best way to book your stay in the U.S. is through Booking.com - and we couldn't think of a better time to kick off the campaign than the 'big game.'"

For travelers looking for some inspiration on where to travel this year across the U.S., Booking.com's 2023 list of 10 top trending global destinations features Santa Fe, New Mexico,**** while other U.S. top trending destinations for 2023 include Anaheim, Honolulu, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, Nashville, Louisville and more. Travelers have access to the widest choice of places to stay on Booking.com - from sleek city hotels and beach houses, to cabins and treehouses, to apartments, tiny homes and more. Research conducted by Booking.com also shows that while Americans will continue to prioritize and invest in travel in 2023 (57%),** they will also be more mindful on how to make the most of their travel budget, with 70%** of travelers seeking more bang for their buck.

Travelers can have peace of mind when they book "Somewhere, Anywhere" on Booking.com, with access to great places to stay across the U.S. and the globe, free cancellation on most bookings, verified reviews and great deals. For more information on travel offerings, including Early 2023 Deals with discounts starting at 15%, visit Booking.com or download the Booking.com app.

SOURCES /  METHODOLOGY:

*Zulu Alpha Kilo Bookers Study conducted for Booking.com. 547 U.S. primary household travel bookers 18–54 were asked to rate the experience of booking their last vacation on a spectrum from "stressful" to "enjoyable." Respondents completed an online survey in August 2022.

**Travel Predictions 2023 research commissioned by Booking.com and conducted among a sample of adults who plan to travel for business or leisure in the next 12-24 months. In total 24,179 respondents across 32 countries and territories were polled (including 1014 from Argentina, 1006 from Australia, 505 from Austria, 504 from Belgium, 1009 from Brazil, 503 from Canada, 1009 from China, 1010 from Colombia, 505 from Croatia, 505 from Denmark, 1010 from France, 1001 from Germany, 500 from Hong Kong, 1005 from India, 504 from Ireland, 504 from Israel, 1008 from Italy, 1003 from Japan, 504 from Mexico, 502 from The Netherlands, 1007 from New Zealand, 1009 from Portugal, 507 from Singapore, 1008 from South Korea, 1001 from Spain, 505 from Sweden, 508 from Switzerland, 500 from Taiwan, 504 from Thailand, 1006 from the UK, 1009 from the US and 504 from Vietnam). Respondents completed an online survey in August 2022.

***Apptopia, Worldwide and US Download Leaders 2022 - Booking.com included as the top downloaded OTA app in the U.S.

****Destinations had to be in the top 1,000 most booked on Booking.com between 1 August 2021 and 31 July 2022. The resulting list was sorted by year-over-year increase and destinations with a large decrease in the share of domestic bookings were removed. This was to ensure that the list represents destinations that have managed to maintain domestic interest (as well as international), even in the face of loosening COVID-related travel restrictions.

About Booking.com:

Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com's mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. By investing in the technology that helps take the friction out of travel, Booking.com's marketplace seamlessly connects millions of travelers with memorable experiences every day. For more information, follow @bookingcom on social media or visit globalnews.booking.com.

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