Hallmark’s Christmas Movie Cruise? That ship has sailed
When I think about Hallmark Christmas movies – and I occasionally do, as my wife is a fan – I picture turning on the gas fireplace and huddling up in front of the TV, maybe with a holiday cocktail in hand.
I do not picture setting off to the Bahamas on a boat, surrounded by the stars of those movies.
Last week, however, passengers aboard the Norwegian Joy found themselves rubbing shoulders with actors including Andrew Walker, B.J. Britt, Benjamin Ayres, Emilie Ullerup, Sarah Drew and many others I’ve never heard of.
It’s the most wonderful time on the sea
For the 4,000 people who went on this, the second Hallmark Christmas Movie Cruise, the experience was far more than an extended celebrity meet and greet. Among the festivities:
- A Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the pool deck
- Male actors stripping off their robes(!) to reveal candy cane costumes
- Screenings and sneak previews of upcoming movies
- Holiday song singalongs with the stars
- A live game show dubbed ‘Festive Feud’
- Panel discussions where stars discussed life behind the scenes
- A dating game with mystery celebrity bachelors
- Not one, but two adult pajama parties with dancing
Hallmark has essentially Disneyfied its roster of holiday films by developing the equivalent of a floating theme park. Instead of rides that make you puke, though, the fun is based on in-person interactions with performers they admire and other fans like themselves.
The cruise does more than promote the company’s film lineup. It celebrates the people who love them by immersing them as deeply as possible into the spirit behind the movies.
It’s easy to imagine how anyone who goes on one of these cruises will gush to their friends and family. The word-of-mouth could be nearly as powerful among those who only vaguely hear about the cruise and cite it as the ultimate sign of being a Hallmark Christmas movie lover.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (a lot earlier)
Is it weird that all this happens before Halloween? Maybe not. Hallmark recognizes that in some cases, anticipating a moment can be nearly as euphoric as experiencing a moment. It’s quite possible that the real Christmas will never measure up to what passengers experienced on the cruise, but they’ll still have memories of the cruise to comfort them.
A regular retail brand can’t pull this off, of course, but you can think about taking largely digital experiences that happen in isolation or at home and developing events that heighten your customers’ enjoyment of their favorite products. This not only includes early access/VIP shopping days but encounters with those who design the products, making customers feel more deeply connected to it all.
In time, the Hallmark Christmas Cruise could become the unofficial kickoff to the season. From a brand loyalty perspective, it will undoubtedly become the gift that keeps on giving.
