In a world where travel apps née websites reign supreme, apparently old school travel agencies still exist. Example: Thorne Travel, a Scottish travel agency, has blessed our lives with a promotional video that is so beyond bad, it might just be good. The video opens with their motto, “Thorn Travel: Times are Changing” before proceeding to carry you through an advertising experience whose vibe is somewhere between a low budget music video and a shady nightclub in Ibiza.
While it's true that, being that it's 2014, when most people want to book a vacation, they just go online and do it themselves, that's not how things work in this weirdly abandoned town setting. In an arrow-shaped cluster, women in red and black dresses march into town to save the day. People have cruises to go on and honeymoons to plan! A little girl despondently clutching a stuffed Mickey Mouse wants to go to Disneyworld! The video, which company owner Shona Thomas describes as, “tongue in cheek,” and “a bit of a laugh,” is so surreally cheesy, I had to double check to make sure Thorne Travel is an actually company. It totally is. It’s terrible, hilarious, mostly because it seems to be 1000% sincere. Here are 8 more reasons why this ad is the best thing on the Internet right now:
1. Swedish House Mafia is playing in the background
When I think “travel agency”, I definitely don’t associate it with “bad techno”, but hey, do you, Thorne.
2. The Thorne ladies come in all shapes and sizes
That opening scene where they're all wearing the same dress (plus Token Man) looks like a some body positive PSA.
3. The cruise ship captain looks like a drug dealer who stole a cruise ship captain’s clothes
That uniform is three sizes too big on you, bro. But if that's the look among hip, cocaine-dealing ship captains, I guess I understand. Sometimes I like a loose, flow-y shirt myself.
4. The effects are slightly awful
And by slightly, I mean holy hell, did a freshman film student edit this on iMovie? That's an actual question; it really looks like that is who was at the helm here. I mean, whenever something exciting happens, magical fairy dust shoots out of the Thorne Travel girls’ fingertips. Amazing/horrible.
5. Everyone dances
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. Synchronized dancing in the middle of the street is what I live for.
6. When the little girl in the video realizes she’s at Disneyworld, we realize that’s not an authentic Mickey or Minnie Mouse
I’m guessing Thorne didn’t get permission from Disney to use their copyrighted characters (because that would cost a bunch of money), so the Mickey and Minnie costumes are slightly off-looking.
7. The director keeps filming the travel agents walking
I GET IT. You guys can wear heels AND walk with purpose, a skill I have not fully mastered yet.
8. These people actually look really nice
I mean, they’re cheesy. And maybe their hyper-happiness makes me slightly uncomfortable. But they seem super personable. I don't actually hate them. I kinda trust them to book me a reasonably priced trip to a safe, Westernized locale where I can have my hand held through pre-packaged "cultural" experiences while still having ready access to Diet Coke! Oh god – job well done, Thorne. Job well done.
Image: Getty
