The impact of user generated photography on brand travel imagery

I went to the brand and video strategy day for brand owners at Google London earlier this month.

Some of it was a bit suck eggs but it was a great overview of how the video landscape is rapidly developing and how to bring a brand to life through video.

It very much confirmed that Youtube is still the place to test and learn content idea’s that could be rolled out to wider media formats if they performed. Tick, and on the case with that.

One of the more interesting presentations was from Theresa Kirkham at Getty images – ‘Which type of images appeal to a travel audience’.

She contrasted travel industry photography from ten years ago with the types of images being shot these days. It was amazing just how dated the older imagery looked.

Over processed and staged were the order of the day. Now these images in the context of the user generated imagery often seen alongside brand approved shot’s on the likes of TripAdvisor just seem ancient.

The impact of user generated content (UGC) on brand travel imagery has been far reaching. Instagram in particular has for many users opened up their minds to the fact that pictures can be manipulated within an inch of their lives and still look good.

This has led to an era of more honest photo shoots. Looser shots with models looking like they have just been posted on Instagram. Increasingly brands are using UGC sourced images in their brochures and other media.


Easyjet’s print ad’s were used as an example of informal UGCesq images, a far cry from “American looking Photoshopped unrealities”.

It’s no huge surprise that the great social media revolution that has sped up in the last ten years has led to a more candid and less formal approach to travel photography after all TripAdvisor is only a click away.