To fight narrow mindedness and show we have more in common with people around the world, we invented a completely new way of travelling. The DNA Journey. A journey where you don't decide the destination, your DNA does.

We invited people from around the world to take a DNA test, revealing where their ancestors came from, going back 2000 years, then gave them a chance to travel there. The often surprising results forced people to rethink who they are and made them more willing and open-minded to travel to the previously foreign places.

In the main film, people from all over the world had their DNA tested to show their ancestral history, dating back 500-2000 years. The participants were interviewed about their sense of national identity, pride, patriotism and prejudices. Secondly, they were asked to reflect upon their often surprising results once revealed to them.

The campaign started as a world-wide survey that showed a link between people’s travel habits and their tolerance towards other cultures. Then came the main film and several portrait films. After this, we invited the whole world to participate. With the chance of winning their own DNA Journey, people applied for momondo DNA spit kits. The finalists who received them, uploaded videos of themselves once they received their DNA results. The campaign lasted approximately 3 months and ended when the winner of the competition travelled the world for their DNA journey.

It was a message the world was waiting to share.

1. Focus on tolerance and openness in the world - global attention:

+843million total reach

+378million video views

+984 press clips

+8,3billion media impressions

2. Starting a universally relevant conversation - engagement:

+11,5million social engagements

98% organic sharing

3. Turning debate into a popular movement - community:

Film over-represented in regions burdened by conflict; 15.7% of total views in Middle East

170.378 joined chance to have their own DNA-Journey (finally won by Manuel from Mexico)

Content used by numerous schools, universities, corporations, social communities and talk shows (e.g Oprah)

4. Business: Market penetration and -share:

Earned media value of USD 122million

ROI 162 (value 122/budget 0.75)

8% increase in penetration

2p.p increase in global market share

We used DNA in a new way. It wasn’t just to find out who you were inside, but also to reveal the destinations of your possible journey. Over 170000 people signed up for the chance to win the DNA journey. The finalists received DNA “spit kits”. Once their spit was analysed, they received the results. The chosen winner travelled to all the countries that their DNA revealed. But it wasn’t just a nice holiday, it was a way to create a more open-minded world by proving that we have a lot in common.

The topics of diversity and tolerance are universally relevant for the future of humanity and for momondo, a global travel search engine. Our challenge was to give momondo’s purpose a strong voice, spur conversations and drive the content virally to generate real social impact. In response, we created a platform and content that served as a point of view in an ongoing debate, while simultaneously addressing value of diversity in the most direct and potent way possible.

Travel is not just for business and pleasure. Travel is important. But a recent global study shows that 48% think that we have become less tolerant towards other cultures. Momondo, the global travel search-site, believes we have more in common with the world than most think. In order to get people to travel with an open mind to create an open world, we needed to prove it.

Our task was to create communication that contributes to the purpose.

1. Create a focus on tolerance and openness in the world

2. Start a universally relevant rather than party-political debate on the issue

3. Turn the debate into a popular movement for a better world

4. Drive market penetration and increase market share