A global campaign that makes you want to compare everything

With “Floats”, KAYAK continues its campaign platform built around comparison. This time, the protagonists are not only comparing flights or hotels: they start comparing the floats they might take on their next holiday.

A simple idea that naturally extends the brand line: “KAYAK, the travel comparison site that makes you want to compare everything.”

The campaign was developed between KAYAK’s global teams in Denmark and London, and the French market. Our role was to make sure this international idea could fully live in France without losing what made it strong in the first place.

Adapting starts with understanding the market

Localising a global campaign is not simply about translating copy or producing new formats.

Our role was also to bring a French perspective to the project: cultural, social, regulatory and strategic.

Which elements could remain untouched? Which ones needed to be reframed, adjusted or explained? How could we preserve the humour, the creative intention and the rhythm of the campaign while making sure they genuinely worked for a French audience?

At that point, versioning becomes less about adaptation and more about cultural translation.

Anticipating issues before the shoot

That process starts well before production.

Ahead of the shoot, MUTT supported KAYAK through the legal and regulatory approvals specific to the French market, including discussions with the ARPP.

Some creative choices raised questions that were particularly relevant in France. The objective was not to remove or dilute them, but to find solutions that remained compliant while protecting the creative intention as much as possible.

A local constraint then becomes a creative and production challenge, rather than a box to tick at the end of the process.

Connecting Global and France

MUTT then acted as the link between KAYAK France and the international creative teams.

This means understanding what is non-negotiable at the heart of the campaign, but also identifying what can be adapted to make the work feel more relevant locally.

Each decision had to work both ways: remain true to the global platform while giving the French teams everything they needed to make the campaign work in their market.

One idea, multiple playing fields

TV, digital, OOH, billboards and sponsorship: “Floats” gradually expanded across different touchpoints.

Each time, the comparison mechanic had to remain instantly recognisable while adapting to the constraints of the format, the context in which it appeared and KAYAK’s different business territories.

The objective was not to squeeze the same campaign into a succession of formats.

It was to use each new format as another opportunity to make the idea live.

From travel to sport, without losing the thread

The strength of “Floats” lies precisely in the simplicity of its mechanic.

Comparison becomes a brand reflex that can move beyond the original film and into new environments: travel, television, outdoor or sports sponsorship.

For the French national team’s next two matches, KAYAK is sponsoring the TV broadcasts with billboards specifically designed to bring the campaign into this new context.

The challenge remains the same: enter a very different environment without losing the thread of the global idea.

Each new activation extends the territory rather than simply repeating what came before.

A French campaign, without becoming a different campaign

The result is a coherent ecosystem in which every local adaptation remains clearly connected to the global concept.

The campaign keeps its identity while gaining the flexibility it needs to work in France, across multiple channels and very different contexts.

As Hélène Giroux, KAYAK France & Spain, puts it:

“With MUTT, everything is under control from global to local, without ever compromising the brand’s original intention.”

What KAYAK Floats says about localisation

A global campaign does not need to be reproduced exactly to remain coherent.

It needs to be understood deeply enough to be moved, adapted and sometimes challenged without losing the original idea.

That is probably where the difference lies between localisation and creative adaptation: one transforms assets. The other makes an idea travel.

Do you have a global campaign to bring to life in France?

MUTT helps brands and international teams adapt, produce and deploy their campaigns for the French market.

Let’s talk about your next campaign.