There are a lot of smiles in this bittersweet video. I can only speak personally here and not from research, but I’d much rather watch and share — and give — when there are smiles involved. They really are taking a sad song and making it better.
It’s cool how they don’t actually show the website. That’s one of the things that makes this video interesting. I do also like how they subtly communicate their authority as digital communicators by showing a very important part of making a website — —user testing. And I’m a sucker for funny little endings — and this one has one — a two-word funny little ending that is the punchline.
This video from Expedia is ideal content for social media — it does not sell directly but it tells you a story. It makes you notice the brand, develop an affinity for it. And, in that way, it is selling. But subtly.