In 1983, Virgin Records was faltering, but one unlikely song exploded onto the charts and saved the company from bankruptcy — Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon.” When tasked with launching Virgin Voyages’ new brand line, “Now We’re Voyaging,” we turned to “Karma Chameleon” once again.

Virgin Voyages differentiates itself by offering luxury adults-only voyages. But what makes the Voyaging experience so special goes beyond its physical features. Unlike cruising, which is often just a party at sea, Voyaging is a journey of discovery that encourages “sailors” to reconnect with their true selves.

We reimagined the ’80s megahit “Karma Chameleon” and turned it into an unforgettable anthem for Virgin Voyages unique, adults-only cruise experience. We dropped the fresh, new single on music platforms and supported it with a joyous video. The song’s catchy melody line became a memorable brand mnemonic that we used across all television and radio ad campaigns.

Cruise industry advertising has become stale and boring. Ironically, the 40- to 60-year-olds being targeted by the industry are part of the MTV generation. So, when Virgin launched its own cruise line — Virgin Voyages — we tapped into the brand’s musical history to redefine the category. Reaching back to the ’80s, a time when our audience was in their formative adolescent phase, we identified a megahit that catapulted Virgin into pop culture — Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon.”

We released the song across every music platform, including Spotify, Apple Music and radio. We also collaborated with one of MTV’s most awarded music video directors to create a short film called “The Voyage,” which redefined voyaging in the language of pop culture.

The melody created a brand mnemonic that we used across all radio and TV ads — from the Golden Globes to the Super Bowl. It became an earworm that enhanced the memorability of our advertising and a true anthem for Voyaging.

The new track caught fire, and thousands of people joined the celebration, commenting on social media and using our song to share their own dance moves on TikTok, reminding the MTV generation of their roots and bringing an entirely new audience to the category.

REACHED #18 ON THE BILLBOARD MUSIC CHARTS

697,000+ STREAMS OF THE SONG AND COUNTING

900% INCREASE IN YEAR-ON-YEAR SALES FOR VIRGIN VOYAGES

2 BILLION CAMPAIGN MEDIA IMPRESSIONS

“Now We’re Voyaging” drove record-breaking sales, successfully launching the Virgin Voyages brand and redefining the once-boring cruise category.