Maria Kavadia is the co-founder of Cosmorama, a Greek travel agency with a presence in the market for over 20 years. Her expertise covers all areas of the industry including global tour operations, PR and marketing.
Even the best visuals can be easily forgotten when there are so many similar holiday ads out there. At Cosmorama, traditional media strategies have previously been effective in reaching our core demographic of travelers over 45 who want to explore the world. However, it did not resonate with Millennials and Gen Z, who represent the next wave of growth.
As the digital landscape changed, we eventually reached performance limits that made traditional media no longer scalable. This stagnation became undeniable in the first half of 2025, when brand searches began to decline. We realized that instead of waiting for demand to be found, we needed to create it.
The answer was right in front of me. In Greece, the average user spends over 50 minutes YouTube every day.1 Additionally, with over 60% of consumers engaged with the platform, YouTube’s reach exceeds that of any other streaming service on the market.2 We weren’t fully present in this space.
In the past, travel agencies like us couldn’t compete on YouTube because producing high-quality videos was too time-consuming and expensive. But 2026 will be: AI-powered video For small businesses like ours to compete locally and globally, we are moving from innovation to business necessity.
The technical craft behind the surreal vision
To grab people’s attention and encourage them to consider their travel options, we developed a new strategy with our agency, iNous Marketing Labs, using AI video tools. We leaned into surreal, dream-like imagery. For example, rather than simply showing people enjoying tea in Japan, our ad featured an authentic Japanese tea ceremony performed on the wing of a flying airplane. This is a concept that would not be possible without AI.
We have produced over 40 high quality videos in total. AI actors that resemble local residentsdepict your travel destination in an unforgettable way. A few years ago, this ambitious idea would have been conceived before a business of our size had taken off.
Our creative workflow revolves around loops between Google. nano banana pro and veo 3. First, we used nano banana pro Create an actor and optimize the background. Then upscale these assets to veo 3 Adjust facial details and natural light.
When you arrive desirable qualityreturned to Nano Banana Pro to convert the assets from 16:9 to 9:16, and reprocessed the final result in Veo 3 to ensure a seamless vertical format.
“This is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A technological window has opened and we need to act fast to seize it,” said Ioannis Develekos, founder and data analyst at iNous Marketing Labs. “We are now using these tools to build assets that we couldn’t create before and launch them in campaigns, primarily on YouTube.”
Evolution to big screen strategy
Based on the momentum of First YouTube campaign The second phase of the strategy involved analyzing preliminary performance data and focused on building an engaged audience. To achieve this, we focused on Connected TV (CTV) as a primary deployment and deployed new content created through the Nano Banana workflow. This move allows us to showcase our brand on the ‘big screen’ and provide an environment that matches our luxury travel products.
At this stage, we introduced Supplemental video content Specifically designed to highlight Cosmorama’s unique value proposition. By viewing travel as a soulful and transformative experience, video It deepened the emotional resonance of the campaign.
We distributed these assets both to our existing audience of inspired viewers and to a broader audience of highly motivated travelers actively searching for their next trip. By reconnecting with people who were already captivated by our surreal visuals, we reinforced brand preference, moved travelers deeper into the consideration stage, and turned curiosity into booking intent.
How dreamy campaigns can impact your business
Considering that long-distance travel typically requires months of preparation, we launched this campaign at the same time Greek travelers start planning their New Year and winter holidays. The timing was strategic. By implementing an intensive three-month growth plan, we generated high interest well in advance of peak booking season.
We’ve found that continuously running creative tests and receiving immediate feedback is extremely valuable. Looking back at the last four months of last year, we believe this speed was the driving force behind the overall success of the project.
The results exceeded our expectations. We doubled our online revenue and successfully reversed the decline in branded search volume. Interestingly, our Google Ads account also saw a spike in brand interest, with users 37% more likely to search for Cosmorama by name after viewing an ad.
The risk today is that you won’t waste money on video. Risk remains invisible.
The competitive edge of creative agility
in 2026we are moving from a single format approach to a diverse library of assets. By combining long, medium and short content, we address every stage of the Greek consumer journey, from initial inspiration to final booking.
For any business stuck in a growth plateau, our journey shows that creative leaps of faith can pay off. As these tools become more intuitive, the playing field will be leveled.
A unique opportunity for agile companies is occurring right now. Mr. Debelekos said: “The risk today is not wasting money on video; the risk remains invisible.”
