Fred Olsen in 3D Google Earth first

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has developed a Google Earth mash-up for its main website featuring what is believed to be the first 3D run through of a passenger journey. The plug-in has been developed by digital marketing agency Cheeze and allows users to see the routes around the globe of five of Fred Olsen’s leading…

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has developed a Google Earth mash-up for its main website featuring what is believed to be the first 3D run through of a passenger journey.

The plug-in has been developed by digital marketing agency Cheeze and allows users to see the routes around the globe of five of Fred Olsen’s leading products.

In addition, using a specially created “Play” button, users can follow a route from start to finish in a three-dimensional mode, taking advantage of Google Earth’s radically enhanced terrain patch, released at the end of May.

The Google Earth plug-in has been downloaded around 150 times in three weeks, said Nathan Cook, account manager at Cheeze 2.0, a division of Cheeze.

“The idea wasn’t actually to increase conversions but to give Fred Olsen a major differential advantage.”

As well as journey functionality, users can click on each destination point during a journey for detailed local information, history, climate, rainfall details and booking links.

Cook added: “Traditionally, cruise holidays are difficult to promote online, operator websites only offering a two dimensional source of information around a product which is of high fiscal value.

“This solution brings to life the emotional value of our client’s product, providing a key differential advantage to their online promotional activity.”