Inside Expedia’s Stop Motion Super Bowl Ad Featuring Ken
A few years ago, the marketing push for the Barbie movie exceeded expectations and was front and center for months to no end. This year marks 65 years since the debut of her partner Ken and Expedia is one of the first to take advantage of the anniversary during Super Bowl Sunday.
To kick off the celebration, Ken is going places with Expedia as its new Brand Ambassador. He’s stepping into destinations like Italy, Japan and Mexico City, using Expedia to help him on his journey as a first-time traveler. Expedia’s Super Bowl ad spot is entirely made with stop-motion and no AI technology was used to make it, according to Natalie Wills, SVP of Expedia Group Brand Marketing and Creative.
“The ad was brought to life through stop-motion photography,” said Wills. “As we developed ‘Going Places with Ken,’ it felt important to honor Ken’s legacy by crafting a world that was just as authentic and detail rich as Ken is. We assembled a top‑tier animation team to painstakingly hand‑build miniature production sets, design custom, tailor‑made outfits for Ken, and capture every moment frame by frame using traditional stop‑motion techniques.”
The brand teased the ad spot on its YouTube page a week ago and published the 30 second ad this week. It has been watched over 11 million views as of February 5th
In addition to its Super Bowl spot, Expedia is executing a comprehensive, full funnel media strategy designed to extend reach and impact well beyond the in game moment. Expedia creative, including the “Going Places with Ken” spot, will run across a wide range of platforms before, during, and after the game, ensuring sustained visibility throughout the entire Super Bowl window.
Wills said the campaign is designed to inspire travelers to book their next trip with Expedia and to reinforce the brand as a true one stop travel companion. By bringing the One Place to Go Places platform to life on a major cultural stage, Expedia’s goal with the campaign is to be more than booking, delivering value through bundle and save options, smart planning tools, and loyalty rewards that support every kind of traveler, from first time explorers to seasoned adventurers. This also comes at a time when Ken is rarely advertised to the same way as Barbie is despite his cultural status.
“Although he’s traditionally taken a quieter role than Barbie, his universal appeal and the renewed excitement around his 65th anniversary make this the perfect moment to put him front and center,” said Wills. “As Ken set out to travel and explore the world, we wanted to show how easily Expedia could support all his trips.”
The media plan spans linear TV, connected TV, YouTube, paid social, and digital audio, allowing Expedia to meet travelers wherever they are consuming content. High impact placements include NFL themed YouTube takeovers, as well as TikTok and Reels pre roll placements, reinforcing the campaign across both premium and social first environments. T
his multi platform approach ensures the Expedia brand reaches audiences far beyond the live broadcast, driving frequency, cultural relevance, and top of mind awareness at scale.
To further deepen engagement in real time, Expedia will host an interactive Q and A with Ken on Threads during the game. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET, Ken will engage directly with followers on Threads (posting from Mattel’s account) to inspire travel conversations and connect with fans as the game unfolds. As part of the Go Places with Ken and Expedia sweepstakes, 65 fans will each receive $1,000 in OneKeyCash, turning live participation into a travel reward.
Together, the always on media presence and real time social activation reflect Expedia’s strategy to pair mass reach with meaningful engagement, using culture, conversation, and incentives to inspire travelers to dream, plan, and go places with Expedia.
