95% of holidaymakers check online rating portals such as TripAdvisor, Yelp or Expedia before traveling or while planning their trip. Top-ten-lists, must-see-places and the sights with the highest score dominate these websites. This causes a homogenization of travel experiences because more and more visitors rely on the same reviews and scores and simply experience more of the same instead of discovering hidden gems. Individual choices and experiences off the beaten path become rarer and places with lower scores struggle to attract new audiences. But Vienna has a different principle when it comes to welcoming its visitors. It is a city that has a lot to offer for all tastes: from imperial glamour and traditional cafés to modern architecture and green city living. There are unique moments around every corner. But how can the city provide them when visitors increasingly rely on the same recommendations promoted by TripAdvisor and other platforms?

For the campaign “Unrating Vienna” we emblazoned the real negative user reviews found on the web over imagery of perfect moments, memorable experiences or beautiful spots in Vienna. For the campaign we found an influential partner in the Viennese cultural scene: the Leopold Museum, one of the world’s leading modern art galleries. The museum’s worst – and often weirdest – real online ratings from the most prominent web platforms were projected onto its huge façade– larger than life, for everyone to see. The museum is situated in one of the most frequented tourism hotspots of the city with many restaurants and bars nearby. We created a memorable experience by linking one of the trendiest and most beautiful spots in Vienna to the absurdity of the ratings mania by projecting user-reviews downvoting the place for ridiculous reasons such as showing modern art, nude paintings or works mostly by Austrian artists.

The Vienna Tourist Board is constantly monitoring current social trends among the city’s visitors and is in permanent exchange with the local travel industry. The growing influence and importance of rating portals such as TripAdvisor is noticeable on both sides. Vienna attracts lots of visitors who stay only for a couple of days and want to get most out of their stay. Therefore, they consult top-ten-lists to cover only the most famous sights. But these places are not necessarily the ones that provide tourists with the most enjoyable experience. By simply following the highest ratings visitors are robbed of unique discoveries and a sense of exploration. So Vienna planned to “break the algorithm” by demonstrating that not all ratings are reliable and helpful. Some of the most ridiculous, unqualified but real online ratings were projected on the façade of one of the world’s most treasured art galleries located in Vienna.

The campaign was rolled out in Austria, Germany, Spain, France and the UK and digital ads were displayed in places ruled by ratings – on popular online platforms such as TripAdvisor or Amazon, taking on the “rating giants” on their own territory. In Vienna itself, we wanted to demonstrate the absurdity of ratings-mania by confronting people live with the gap between an online rating score and the actual vibe and charm of a place. So we went to one of the most beautiful und popular spots in Vienna and brought visitors and locals face-to-face with the ridiculous side of ratings. The Leopold Museum agreed to have its most absurd real ratings projected onto its facade for everyone in the square to see. By emblazoning the walls with absurd write-ups, we demonstrated the courage of tourist attractions to stand up to the – sometimes unfair – algorithm of rating portals.

The brand experience was part of a campaign rolled out in five countries. Thus, the installation was covered by numerous international news outlets such as Süddeutsche Zeitung, The Daily Telegraph or The Washington Post that took it as a cue to discuss ratings and their growing influence. Media opinion leaders closely linked to the tourism industry like Monocle or Lonely Planet joined the conversation. Further acknowledgement came from within the tourism industry that welcomed the broad spotlight on the double-edged reality of ratings. Overall, the campaign reached 275 million earned media impressions. The ambient installation instigated a dialogue among target audiences at one of Vienna’s most frequented hotspots. Commercially, a new record of overnight stays was achieved, a staggering 17.6 million, which equals an increase by 6.8% in comparison to the previous year. The Viennese tourism reached a sales increase of 14 % – another record-breaking figure in that year.