The Joy Index: 10 Happiest Places on Earth

Condé Nast Traveler’s campaign, The Joy Index: 10 Happiest Places on Earth, needed to showcase two destinations–Shanghai, China, and St. John’s in Newfoundland, Canada–using the splendor of 360 VR. Sponsored by Bank of America, we got a chance to explore exciting locales handpicked by “happiness experts” Gretchen Rubin and Shawn Achor.
Working on a travel destination campaign was both exhilarating and challenging: the activities that led us through these destinations were as diverse in nature and of course in distance to each other. Having to climb up to a vantage point, film 24,000 migrating birds, and then taking a boat out to an up-close and personal view of an iceberg from a dingy are not jobs for the faint of heart!

9 Ways to Find Joy in Newfoundland

On the eastern edge of North America is a place of awesome natural beauty. Situated on spectacular rocky shores, Newfoundland is home to incredible wildlife migrations, exhilarating iceberg views, and breathtaking views of the stunning coastal terrain.

9 Ways to Find Joy in Shanghai

Journey through Shanghai, a magical city that combines ancient cultural rites with dazzling modern wonders. There’s so much to discover, from morning tai chi on the Bund, to drifting through the canal city of Zhujiajiao, to the 3 Michelin stars rated cuisine of Ultraviolet.

The Joy Index has its own website with an introduction by Cassie Shortsleeve and a methodology for understanding how they measure happiness in travel. Seeing the 360 videos integrated into the full project was immensely satisfying for our team. The definitive ranking of the happiest travel destinations for 2017 includes ten destinations altogether. Explore all of the happiest places and find out more about what makes travel joyful: https://bit.ly/2jT5Syf

From Condé Nast’s own case study, we are able to glean some metrics. For instance, the campaign received over 25M video views and a 10.6% boost in Bank of America Rewards Card consideration. That means 360º video helped bring Newfoundland and Shanghai to millions of people all over the world.