Hannah Waddingham Revives The Love Boat in Princess Cruises’ Nostalgic Ad

Princess Cruises is the latest brand to lean into nostalgia, launching a modern tribute to 1970s TV series The Love Boat with Emmy-winning Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham.

The cruise line’s campaign, created by its agency of record Terri & Sandy and directed by Dave Laden through production company Hungry Man, taps into a real piece of history: the 1977 pilot of The Love Boat was shot aboard Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess ship in Mexico. To highlight that connection, Princess Cruises enlisted Waddingham to sing a new version of The Love Boat’s theme song.

The ad shows Waddingham stepping aboard a Princess ship and being greeted by the captain. She then performs the show’s catchy tune as she enjoys the ship’s amenities, including a smoking craft cocktail, a seafood tower, poolside drinks, a massage, and the view from her room’s terrace.

Princess Cruises chief marketing officer Jim Berra told ADWEEK that the ad was an attempt to break away from the montages of ship and destination images that typically dominate the category’s marketing.

The campaign is designed to resonate with both regular Princess travelers and consumers new to cruising, with an emphasis on active seniors, families with teenagers, digitally savvy adults, and multigenerational groups looking for shared adventure, Berra explained.

“Beyond standing out creatively, we also saw an opportunity to tap into our brand’s legacy of timeless elegance with a modern and innovative style that aligns perfectly with the cultural trend of ‘nowstalgia’ that our audience embraces,” he said.

A series of 60-, 30-, 15 and 6-second versions of the ad will run on connected TV, digital, and social platforms across the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. The hero version will also play in U.S. cinemas before screenings of Wicked and Gladiator 2.

Waddingham recorded her version of The Love Boat theme at the famed Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, a music industry landmark that has hosted the likes of Abba, Bob Marley, Jay-Z, and Shakira. 

Princess Cruises ran Love Boat-themed cruises in 2022 and 2024 featuring meet-and-greets and Q&As with the show’s cast. And in April, the brand named Waddingham godmother of a new Sun Princess Love Boat at a ceremony in Barcelona. The brand has a tradition of giving the role to celebrities, including Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn, and Sophia Loren.