A year after Sunsail’s 50th anniversary event, organised by the National Geographic Traveller (UK) events team at London’s Arboretum, APL Media reflects on the success of their ongoing collaboration and the impact of their partnership.

Since 2022, Sunsail, a global leader in sailing holidays, has worked with APL Media, including its National Geographic Traveller (UK) and Living360 branded content teams, to enhance awareness among UK-based adventure enthusiasts. Sunsail offers charter sails, skippered getaways and flotilla adventures, providing experiential holidays for individuals without prior sailing experience. The company engaged APL Media to assist in promoting this unique offering effectively.

Over the years, this relationship has grown to span all major APL Media platforms, including:

• National Geographic Traveller (UK) — in both print and digital branded content
• Living360 — through engaging editorial and SEO-informed features
• Newspaper publications — via high-impact advertorials within themed travel guides distributed with The Guardian and The London Standard 

Each campaign has built upon the last, evolving the creative strategy, growing the audience and solidifying Sunsail’s presence across the UK media landscape. With another campaign currently in development for 2025, this is a partnership that continues to chart new waters. 

To position Sunsail as a lifestyle brand and promote its message, the team has:

• Demystified sailing for first-time audiences through educational articles like Expert advice for planning your first sailing trip and Five of the best sailing destinations for winter sun.
• Showcased Mediterranean escapes — especially in Greece and Croatia — as relaxing, off-grid, wellness-led adventures, notably through features like Family sailing holidays: how to connect and unwind and Going off-grid: why it’s time you booked a sailing holiday.
• Delivered tactical campaigns aligned with booking cycles and editorial calendars, including new year themes, such as Best sailing holidays for every kind of traveller and Why sailing holidays will be the 2024 summer trend.
• Executed performance-led media strategies incorporating digital roadblocked banners, social amplification, newsletter takeovers and native content placement.
• Curated a 50^th anniversary event to celebrate Sunsail’s legacy in May 2024 at Arboretum in London, blending real-world engagement with wider campaign amplification across APL Media’s ecosystem. See more here.

APL Media and Sunsail have built a strong relationship through strategic storytelling, understanding their audience, and building effective campaigns to keep Sunsail as a leader in experiential travel.

Each year has brought new creative approaches and deepened engagement, with a standout 50th anniversary event and a campaign series that’s still ongoing.

Discover the campaign here.

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About APL Media 
APL Media is a multi-award-winning content marketing agency and publisher, producing high-quality print, digital and live media across the travel and lifestyle sectors. Since 1997, it has published National Geographic Traveller (UK) under license from National Geographic Partners LLC, supported by brand extensions including guides, events and digital platforms. The portfolio also features Living360, a digital lifestyle brand covering wellness, travel, food, sustainability and culture, distributed via national media and its own platform. APL Media delivers custom content, branded campaigns, editorial consultancy and leading events such as the Travel Media Awards and Step Up. Its trade titles include Postcards and the ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide, with content also produced for national newspapers.
aplmedia.co.uk