Cheeky Auto Responses Urge Brits to Take a Break in British Airways Holidays OOH Spots

British Airways Holiday’s new campaign - ‘Take Your Holiday Seriously’ - launches the next iteration of the campaign, a series of witty outdoor executions created by Uncommon. 

The idea for the outdoor is centred around the common ‘Out of Office’ email - something many of us are familiar with setting up ahead of taking our annual leave at work. But instead of the usual polite sign-off messages that can typically note ‘if urgent please contact me via mobile’ - these OOO emails are much more punchy in protecting our headspace from the office when we’re on our holidays. 

The emails include playful copy such as 'No' and '0% chance of work'. Behind the humour is an important message - that holidays are more than a frivolous luxury, and we should all prioritise time away for our wellbeing.

The OOH follows a series of films launched in late December, urging Brits to take their holidays seriously. Due to the fact that despite not taking a holiday is proven to literally kill us sooner, Brits fail to take them seriously. In fact, a new survey revealed that 50% of UK working adults do not take their full annual leave allocation.

The survey, commissioned by British Airways Holidays with YouGov Plc., also found that 48% of working Brits have checked their work emails whilst away, when science suggests that not taking time off can shorten your life expectancy. With a cost-of-living crisis this winter and a recession on the horizon, many will be finding it harder to justify a getaway in 2023. However, a 40-year study by the European Society of Cardiology revealed that taking a holiday could help people live longer. British Airways Holidays’ survey also revealed that nearly 79% of those asked agreed that taking a break is good for their mental health.