Costa Cruises has announced it is launching a new advertising campaign featuring Penélope Cruz.

The Spanish actress will star in the new international ad campaign as a mermaid, “who, bewitched by the sound of a Costa ship, decides to go aboard through a ‘magic passage’ and experience the excitement and ‘happiness squared’ that are part and parcel of a cruise holiday,” Costa announced. 

“Penélope Cruz is the ideal representative for Costa Cruises because she embodies perfectly the spirit and beauty of a Mediterranean holiday onboard our ships. She is cheerful and genuine, and is also known for her great professionalism. In fact, the aim of this advertising campaign is to communicate that a cruise is a magical holiday, the only one that allows people to discover the world from the unique perspective of the sea, so much so that even a mermaid is enchanted enough to go aboard. And finally the music, the original version of Sapore di Sale by Gino Paoli, the perfect soundtrack that instantly recalls memorable holidays in true Italian style,” said Luca Casaura, Costa Cruises SVP Global & Strategic Marketing.

The ad campaign will be made available in segments ranging from 15 to 60 seconds, and was directed by Jaume de Laiguana. The campaign, produced with Young & Rubicam Spain, will also be supported by a social media campaign.

The music from the campaign will come from Sapore di sale by Gino Paoli.