Dream Cruises chooses Leo Burnett for China brand launch

Last November, Genting Hong Kong unveiled its plan to claim Asia’s premium cruise market with the introduction of the new Dream Cruises brand. Operations are slated to begin this November, and the company called a creative pitch in March.

Leo Burnett's Shanghai office will be crafting integrated solutions to support the Dream Cruises marketing communication strategy, confirmed Angie Wong (王恺宜), the office's general manager.

Eric Leong (梁维明), VP of brand marketing and communications at Dream Cruises, said there is a fast-rising demand for premium travel experiences in China, and the Leo Burnett team has "solid" international experience in the premium travel category, along with an in-depth understanding of the affluent mass market in China.

Cruise marketing is still relatively new in China, while already very mature in many other countries, he added. From 2012 to 2014, the number of Chinese cruise passengers grew 79 percent per year, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. And according to China's Ministry of Transport, by 2020, an estimated 4.5 million Chinese people will take cruises.

Genting Dream, the first ship of the Dream Cruises fleet (see below for hull art), will debut in November 2016 after completing fit-out at shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. It will sail out of its home port of Guangzhou in Nansha.