Behind Navan’s New York Out of Home Takeover

On November 5th, corporate travel, expense and payment management platform, Navan, staged an out of home (OOH) ad takeover in New York, celebrating the milestone of becoming a publicly listed company on the Nasdaq last week.

Its first major campaign as a public entity, the work – designed with the frequent traveller in mind – intercepts people’s journeys at numerous friction points with digital OOH placements across in-flight and rideshare, as well as outdoor at major commuter hubs in New York.

As a market disruptor, Navan has modernised the corporate travel and expense (T&E) world by integrating AI from the outset, transforming what was typically a time consuming and admin-heavy process into one that’s personalised and intuitive. Working with creative agency L&C, the campaign was positioned in one of the world’s busiest financial centres, drawing the attention of busy decision makers through an elevated visual design system centred around clouds, reminding them that business travel can be calm and hassle-free.

Speaking with Navan’s SVP of marketing, Erika White, and L&C’s founder and CCO, Gian Lanfranco, LBB’s Abi Lightfoot finds out more about the strategy and creative thinking behind the takeover.

LBB> The work appeals to frequent travellers who don’t have excess time to search for hotels, flights and more. How did you initially go about marketing your services to your target demographic?

Erika> Navan’s product is designed with the frequent traveller top of mind. That said, we have three constituents we consider when we think about our marketing. First is the traveller, for whom we design an experience that saves them time, brings them joy, and allows them to focus on being there – not getting there. Second are the companies who buy Navan for their employees. One of the taglines we use in our new ads is ‘the travel platform your team won’t secretly book around’, which is not only true, but meant to appeal to companies who want to drive efficiency without sacrificing the employee experience. We also think about our supplier ecosystem, whose inventory fuels our platform. We were proud to see partners like Expedia congratulate us in our Times Square placements that were part of this campaign.

LBB> How will Navan’s marketing strategy evolve now that the company is Nasdaq listed?

Erika> We’re obviously in the early days of being a public company but we’ve been focused on creating exceptional experiences for travelers and customers for over a decade, and our marketing is an extension of that. We will continue to formulate our strategy by thinking about how to intersect the current mindset of our buyer, who is often juggling many different priorities – reducing costs, optimising use of AI, and maximising employee effectiveness. This campaign is an example – we’re demonstrating how we’re part of the solution.

LBB> Navan is powered by generative AI and personalisation. To what extent do you utilise generative AI in your marketing efforts?

Erika> The expectation of everyone on the marketing team at Navan is that they are integrating AI tools and systems into their day-to-day work. The team does that enthusiastically and I don't find myself pushing them to experiment with AI. We use AI to help draft copy lines and develop images, as a creative partner to ideate with. That being said, a creative professional is still at the heart of our creative decisions.

LBB> Why was a large-scale NYC takeover the right format to launch this work to consumers? What were the primary logistical considerations of launching a campaign on this scale?

Erika> The IPO was a pivotal moment to build confidence with key executives, particularly at enterprise companies, who may have either never heard of Navan or have not considered buying us. We especially thought about those who have been hesitant to switch from a legacy solution. Being public means putting all the details of our business out for the world to see – it shows we’ve built something big, something durable. Launching in New York, one of the world's great financial centres and right near our partners at Nasdaq, allowed us to directly address this moment in time where the world is watching.

LBB> The campaign targets frequent travellers at numerous points of their journeys, can you share more about the strategic thinking behind this approach?

Erika> Being a software company, the primary target for this campaign is the prospective buyer dealing with a dated legacy system – one that wastes time and money, and that their employees actively avoid using. Our approach for this campaign was designed to make them reconsider Navan as the modern solution that won't keep them up at night. Ultimately, it's about showing how our platform allows both finance leaders and their road warriors to focus on what truly matters. The creative is designed to make busy decision-makers pause and look up, and we strategically placed ads in elevated locations to cut through the noise and command their attention.

LBB> Navan’s Business Travel Index (Q3)shows +20% YoY in business travel. How will you look to build brand recognition and awareness amongst the next generation of business travellers through this campaign and beyond?

Erika> The best way to reach the next generation of business travellers is by having more businesses adopt Navan. Once travellers get a taste of the Navan experience, they become our biggest advocates. We keep them engaged with features like personal travel rewards and the ability to earn loyalty points on every trip. As long as we can continue to make companies aware of who we are and why we’re different from the older, more archaic solutions in the market, the traveller will be unlocked at scale.
As part of this campaign and milestone, we also wanted to show travellers direct appreciation and encourage them to book personal travel. So, for travelers that book personal travel on Navan, we currently have a contest where travellers submit for their best travel hack for a chance to win $10,000 in Navan rewards for their next trip.

LBB> How did you initially respond to the brief, Giancarlo?

Gian Carlo> The brief was all about showing how simple and seamless Navan makes business travel for companies. We wanted to take a creative approach that had media built into the idea – not as an afterthought. Working with Obsessed Media, we identified the right messages for the right placements – from Times Square to airports and train stations. The goal was to connect with people in ways that tied Navan’s benefits to the exact context where they saw the ad. Through this, we made Navan stand out in the T&E category.

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LBB> Staging a multi-channel OOH takeover across NYC is no easy task. Can you share more about the process of taking the idea from concept to execution?

Gian Carlo> We started by identifying the exact media placements and crafting messages based on clear insights that made Navan relevant in each context. Once we had those specific messages, we collaborated with the Navan team to develop a visual style that embodied ease and reflected travel. That’s how we landed on the visual world of clouds, a concept that instantly transports you to a sense of calm and effortless business travel. From there, we tested the executions across real placements to make sure everything worked in context before launching the full campaign.

LBB> The digital OOH billboards include phrases such as, ‘Save the drama for Broadway. Not for your business travel’. Can you share some insight behind the creative, and how it aligns with Navan’s disruption within the T&E space?

Gian Carlo> We really wanted to own the context of where these ads live and connect with people in a way that actually makes sense at the moment. Each headline was designed to feel relevant – whether someone is rushing through an airport, riding the subway, or walking through Times Square. Take, for example, ‘Save the drama for Broadway. Not for your business travel’. It plays off the energy of the location and Broadway shows, while showing how Navan takes the hassle out of business travel.

LBB> Were there any challenges in bringing this work to life, and if so, how did you overcome them?

Gian Carlo> It was a big moment for Navan, so we wanted the creative to be memorable, yet simple and engaging. The goal was to help Navan own the conversation around business travel in NYC during this special moment.