Adventure travel brand WeRoad is launching a new campaign to address a growing social issue: the difficulty of making friends in your 30s. Set to debut this week in Manchester and London, the campaign combines witty billboards with free citywide community events to promote friendship and connection.
The initiative comes in response to recent research highlighting the challenges of forming new friendships after age 30. A study by Oxford University UK and Aalto University Finland found that social connections peak at age 25, with fewer natural opportunities for interaction as people enter their 30s.
WeRoad’s campaign cleverly illustrates this struggle through billboards featuring a flow chart of potential friendship-making scenarios. From “drunken oversharing at work events” to “initiating breathless conversations at spin classes,” the chart ultimately leads to an invitation to “travel the world with a bunch of strangers” – WeRoad’s unique solution to the friendship dilemma.
The travel brand is backing up its message with action, offering free events throughout Manchester and London. These include WeRoad’s signature “WeMeets” gatherings, featuring activities like candle making and rollerblading, as well as partnerships with local community spaces like Kampus and Feel Good Club in Manchester.
WeRoad CMO Fabio Bin emphasises the company’s mission: “We are more than just a travel company, we are in the business of making connections.”
The campaign aligns with a boom in solo travel, with UK market spending increasing by 80% from 2022 to 2023, now representing an £11.6 billion industry. WeRoad caters to this growing demographic, offering small-group trips designed to foster meaningful connections among travelers.
Created in collaboration with creative agency DUDE, the campaign will run from late July to mid-August. It’s part of WeRoad’s broader initiative to establish itself as a major player in the UK travel market while expanding across Europe.
Tomas Gianelli O’Ryan, Creative Director at DUDE says, “We don’t talk about this enough, but making new friends is getting harder and harder, especially when you hit the 30s mark. That’s why together with WeRoad we decided to get the conversation started by showing all the complexities, ups and downs, and difficulties of making new friends in the modern world. All of this with the characteristic touch of humour and irony of WeRoad”.
Since its founding in 2017, WeRoad has helped over 100,000 travelers explore the world and form new friendships across more than 300 itineraries. With a strong community focus and a network of 2,500+ Travel Coordinators, the company continues to reimagine group travel for millennials seeking adventure and authentic connections.
As social isolation becomes an increasing concern in the digital age, WeRoad’s campaign offers a refreshing perspective: sometimes, the best way to make new friends is to step out of your comfort zone and explore the world together.
- Riley Demi
