Qantas, Australia’s national airline, wants a new way to inspire travel with an increasingly younger audience. Their answer is a smart twist on a familiar behaviour. The out-of-office email. Instead of the usual “I’m away” message, Qantas turns it into a personalised travelogue powered by the user’s Instagram photos.
The mechanism is simple and effective. Qantas’ research shows that tips from friends and colleagues are a major driver for choosing the next holiday. So the brand uses Instagram’s API to transform a mundane autoresponder into something people actually want to read. A short visual story of where you are, what you are doing, and why it might be worth visiting.
What elevates the idea is the commercial bridge. The email does not just inspire. It incentivises recipients to book flights directly from the out-of-office message. This is social proof plus direct response, built into a format people already accept as normal workplace etiquette.
As a result, users created over 10,000 Out of Office Travelogues. The activity generated 100 million media impressions worldwide for Qantas.
Why this works as modern email strategy
Most marketing emails fight for attention in an overcrowded inbox. This one arrives with a built-in reason to be opened and read. It is a message you expect when you email someone who is travelling.
It also uses the strongest distribution channel many brands overlook. People’s real networks. When your colleague shares their trip, even passively via an autoresponder, it carries more credibility than a brand-led destination ad.
The real innovation is the data-to-story pipeline
At a tactical level, the campaign is “just” an API integration. In practice, it is a reusable pattern.
- Pull customer-owned content from a platform they already use.
- Convert it into a lightweight narrative unit that fits a communication norm.
- Add a clear, transactional next step without breaking the tone.
If you can operationalise that pattern, you can treat email not as static creative, but as a dynamic surface where personal context becomes relevant storytelling.
What to watch if you replicate this pattern
The moment you use personal photos and automated messaging, the trust layer matters.
- Permissioning and transparency. Make it obvious what is being pulled and why.
- Control. Users need an easy way to curate what appears.
- Brand safety. You need guardrails so the travelogue stays on-message without becoming intrusive.
A few fast answers before you act
What is the Qantas Out of Office Travelogue?
A personalised out-of-office email reply powered by the user’s Instagram photos, designed to inspire travel and drive bookings.
Why is the out-of-office format such a good carrier?
It arrives with intent and legitimacy. People expect it, and it is naturally tied to travel.
What is the core growth loop?
One person travels. Their network sees the travelogue via everyday email behaviour. The recipient gets inspired, and is pushed toward booking directly from the message.
What results does Qantas report?
Over 10,000 travelogues created and 100 million media impressions worldwide.
