Jetpac hunts for virgins in ballsy global campaign

Singapore-based creative consultancy ballsy is making its global debut with an eyebrow-raising campaign for Jetpac, a travel eSIM brand, and it starts by hunting for virgins. Travel virgins, that is.

Dubbed "The Travel Virgin Show", the campaign is a social-first, unscripted travel series that follows two first-time travellers - one from the U.S.A. and one from the U.K.  - as they step out of their home countries for the first time. Each will be accompanied by a travel mentor, including Love Is Blind UK star Benaiah, to guide them through their first international journey.

To find its stars, Jetpac has kicked off bold OOH ads across high-traffic areas in Los Angeles and London. Billboards, murals and posters tease phrases such as “Virgins wanted” and “Time to pop your cherry”, directing viewers to Jetpac’s microsite via QR codes. The full campaign is expected to roll out across Europe, APAC, Canada and Australia over the summer.

Don't miss: VJ Anand launches ‘ballsy’ in SG, aims to break traditional agency model

Jetpac’s partner on the campaign, ballsy, is a two-person outfit led by VJ Anand and Eddy Lim. The idea stemmed from a data-backed insight: about 23% to 25% of American adults and 13% to 15% of British residents have never travelled abroad for a holiday.

“When Jetpac first approached us, they didn’t want yet another ordinary campaign; they were looking for a global, significant storyline. We pitched something wild and Jetpac didn’t flinch, because fortunately, they share our ballsy DNA of being fearless and experimental – so that’s when our ‘virgin hunt’ began” said Anand.

“Instead of creating a boring old campaign targeting the well-traveled, we asked, what if we gave the Jetpac eSIM to someone who’s never used one before? We wanted to capture the unforgettable moments of someone stepping out of their own world for the very first time – travel virgins," he added.

According to Pearlyn Yeo, head of marketing at Jetpac, the brand wanted to make a lasting statement: “Everyone remembers their first trip abroad - usually for the stress, and we want to flip that. If we can make people proud of their first trip, they’ll never stop exploring, and that’s Jetpac’s key philosophy to encourage travel freedom."

"Once they’ve tried us for the first time, they will know why we’re different from the rest, and that’s exactly what we want to amplify with this creative concept. We don’t want to be remembered as ‘any travel brand’. If we want to make a mark in the industry as a new entrant, we’re going in big and bold. So, when the ballsy team brought this idea to us with the surprising statistics on people who have never traveled from the U.K. and U.S.A., it immediately connected with us, and we were all ready to go big and wild with it," added Yeo. 

To bring the campaign to life, ballsy assembled a global team of creative collaborators. Singapore’s Friend agency led the development of social and content assets, while a group of American and European creatives supported the overall campaign execution. Direction was helmed by Brooklyn-based filmmaker Ion Michael Furjanic, with Malaysian production company We Are Kix overseeing the shoot. Media duties were handled by Build Media, and influencer engagement was managed by Connect Management.

“This is part campaign, part social experiment, and part unscripted reality show,” added Anand. “In a sea of influencers and airbrushed travel reels, we choose to go raw with authentic and honest storytelling via the lens of virgin travellers.”

For ballsy, the project marks a bold step onto the global stage. “We’re small, but our ideas are limitless and our work is borderless,” said the team.

Beyond the Jetpac campaign, ballsy is carving out a distinct identity as a modular brand consultancy and creative incubator. The two-person team embraces a flexible “plug and play” approach, stepping in to lead projects or collaborate with existing agencies to shake up conventional thinking.

With expertise spanning advertising, entertainment, music, and culture, founders Anand and Lim aim to help Asian brands break through globally while challenging the rigidity they see in the industry today.

In an earlier interview with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Anand explained, “We are not just a creative shop. We are a brand. We are an incubator. We are many things... The ad industry is currently becoming too rigid and follows too many rules and old school legacies; so with ‘ballsy’, we’re creating endless possibilities to rock the scene up a bit”

Ballsy's ambitions go beyond traditional campaigns. The duo is already exploring ventures into lifestyle, streetwear, and even the pet business. With a growing roster of clients that includes both agencies and business owners, ballsy is setting out to be a creative force that thrives on boldness, collaboration, and cultural relevance.

“We're excited to work with anyone who shares the same conviction,” Anand added. “Whether it is elevating a start-up business or revitalising established companies, ballsy aims to work with brands and creative teams with its ‘plug and play’ ethos."

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