Navan | The Travel Platform That Makes Every Employee Happy

A business traveler is stuck using outdated, 1990s-style travel software. Everything is slow, frustrating, and tinted in dull green. He’s placed on a 40-minute customer support hold while his CFO grows increasingly stressed.

In contrast, another traveler uses Navan. His experience is seamless across laptop, phone, and watch. While the first traveler is still waiting, the Navan user is already on the plane, sipping a drink and sending a selfie to a relaxed, happy CFO. The ad ends with the frustrated traveler switching to Navan and being welcomed to “the good life.”

The Formula (That Works at Any Budget)

Painful Truth = Outdated tools waste time and credibility
The ad frames legacy travel software as not just inefficient, but professionally embarrassing. Long hold times and manual processes don’t just slow employees down — they create stress for leadership.

→ Lesson: Make the cost of sticking with the old way feel personal, not technical.

Visual Contrast = Pain vs. Pleasure
Muted colors, cluttered desks, and physical frustration define the “90s” world. Navan’s world is bright, modern, and calm. The contrast is immediate and easy to understand.

→ Lesson: Use visual tone and color to communicate emotional outcomes instantly.

Decision-Maker Payoff = The CFO Moment
The story doesn’t stop at user experience. It explicitly shows the downstream impact on finance leadership — from panic to relief.

→ Lesson: Always show how the product helps both the user and the buyer.

Humor Breakdown

The humor is built on exaggerated but familiar frustration.

The “90s traveler” struggles with hold music, tangled desks, and absurd delays, while surreal touches — like a talking cloud wishing the Navan user “Bon Voyage” — highlight how ridiculous outdated software feels today.

It works because it mirrors real experience rather than forcing jokes.

Final Verdict

Navan makes business travel software feel aspirational instead of administrative.

By positioning competitors as outdated relics, the ad creates urgency without fear. It sells speed, confidence, and ease — not features — and clearly shows what life looks like on the other side of the switch.

BRAVE-o-meter Score

B: 8 | R: 9 | A: 8 | V: 9 | E: 8
BRAVE – 8.4/10

Watch the full ad & learn more

Website: Navan.com
LinkedIn: Navan on LinkedIn

(See what BRAVE means in our collection)

Understanding the B.R.A.V.E. Scoring System

The B.R.A.V.E. scoring system uses AI to deliver an unbiased evaluation of top-of-the-funnel B2B brand ads. It measures potential impact, memorability, and effectiveness by assessing five key components of a video ad or commercial. This system gauges an ad's capacity to drive brand recall and enhance salience, ensuring that creative work not only captures attention but also leaves a lasting impression.

What B.R.A.V.E. Stands For:

Each letter represents a key factor in determining an ad’s success:

  • B — Boldness: Is the ad original, creative, or daring? Does it break away from generic B2B marketing, or is it just another forgettable corporate video?
  • R — Relevance: Does it connect with a real buyer pain point? Is it addressing a specific frustration or need, or just listing product features?
  • A — Attention: Does it grab and hold attention in the first few seconds? Is it visually or tonally engaging, or easy to skip?
  • V — Vibe: Does it create an emotional response—laughter, recognition, or surprise? Or does it feel like just another corporate info dump?
  • E — Effectiveness: Will buyers remember the brand when they need a solution? Does the ad make an impact that lasts beyond the moment?

How It’s Applied to B2B Video Rating

Each video is scored 1 to 10 in all five categories, based on how well it meets the criteria. The total score (out of 50) is then divided by 5 to give a final B.R.A.V.E. score out of 10.

For example:

  • An ad scoring B-8 | R-9 | A-7 | V-6 | E-8 has a total of 38/50.
  • The final B.R.A.V.E. score is 7.6/10.

Why It Matters

B2B ads often struggle with being bland, forgettable, or ineffective. The B.R.A.V.E. system ensures they are judged by their ability to break through, connect with buyers, and drive action.

Simply put: If your ad isn’t B.R.A.V.E., it’s invisible.

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