Priceline® Brings Back the Negotiator to Save the Summer Vacation
Rhea-AI Summary
Priceline (BKNG) is reviving the iconic Priceline Negotiator character, with Randall Park taking over from William Shatner, to lead its largest summer promotion.
The Unbummer Your Summer sale runs May 12–25, offering discounts up to 60% across hotels, packages, rental cars, cruises and activities, plus extra savings for Priceline VIP and card members.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – BKNG
In the May 12 session, BKNG gained 1.75%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 05 | Conference appearance | Neutral | +1.2% | CEO scheduled for J.P. Morgan TMC conference fireside chat webcast. |
| May 04 | Marketing campaign | Neutral | -2.4% | Launch of $1 Route 66 movie-inspired road trip promotion on Booking.com. |
| Apr 28 | Strategic initiative | Neutral | -2.3% | OpenTable forms U.S. Restaurant Ambassador Council for operator feedback. |
| Apr 27 | Earnings timing | Neutral | -1.5% | Notice of Q1 2026 earnings release and conference call schedule. |
| Apr 23 | AI product launch | Positive | -1.5% | KAYAK debuts Ask AI travel-planning tool and World Cup trends dashboard. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent marketing and product announcements have often seen modest, mixed price reactions, with one AI launch drawing a negative move despite its positive framing.
Over the past few weeks, BKNG has released a series of brand and product updates rather than hard financial results. Announcements included a KAYAK Ask AI launch on Apr 23, an OpenTable Restaurant Ambassador Council on Apr 28, and a Route 66 marketing experience on May 4. A conference appearance notice and an earnings release timing update also hit the tape. Reactions ranged from about -2.39% to +1.24%, suggesting that similar "news"-tag items have not consistently driven strong upside.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
William Shatner taps Randall Park to take over as the next Priceline Negotiator. His first order of business: Priceline's biggest summer sale ever.
Today, Priceline is bringing back the iconic Priceline Negotiator to Unbummer Your Summer with its biggest summer sale ever.
Priceline kicked off the search for its next Negotiator with a nationwide TikTok stunt before announcing actor and comedian Randall Park is stepping into the role. William Shatner, the original Priceline Negotiator and the man who made the character a cultural phenomenon, came out of retirement to rigorously train Park before handing over the keys to Priceline's legendary deals headquarters.
Inside those headquarters, the Negotiator is back to doing what he does best: making sure travelers get the best deal possible. The mission is the same. The pressure is higher. The deals are bigger than ever.
"Priceline was founded on the belief that travel should not feel out of reach," said Brigit Zimmerman, Chief Executive Officer, Priceline. "For more than 25 years, we have worked on behalf of travelers to find better deals and make more trips possible. Bringing back the Negotiator puts a recognizable face on a mission that has been core to Priceline from the beginning. When travelers are under pressure, we work even harder to help them be there for the moments that matter."
Priceline's new research, part of its upcoming State of Summer Travel Report, makes the stakes clear:
"Bringing back the Negotiator was a deliberate decision to put Priceline's promise to travelers front and center during a travel affordability crisis," said Lesley Klein, SVP, Strategy and Brand Marketing, Priceline. "This is the time to show up for them. By leaning into something people have long known and loved about Priceline, we're reinforcing our commitment to helping travelers get the deals they need to make travel happen."
The original Negotiator agrees.
"The Negotiator was never just a character," said William Shatner. "He stood for fighting to get travelers the deal they deserve. Priceline never stopped doing that. It's good to see him front and center again, and Randall brings the right energy for the job."
"Travel is tied to some of the most important moments in people's lives," said Randall Park. "What I connected to is that the Negotiator is there to fight for the traveler and to help make those moments happen. That's a legacy I'm proud to carry forward."
Priceline's Unbummer Your Summer Sale launches today
The Negotiator's first order of business? To Unbummer Your Summer with discounts up to
Featured deals include:
- Hotels:
- Up to
30% off hotels $75 - Use code STAYAWHILE
- First 1,000 bookings only
10% off hotel Express Deals in the Priceline App- Use code SUMMERSTAY
- Up to
- Vacation Packages: Up to
60% off packages - Rental Cars: Up to
25% off rental cars - Cruises: Up to
$1,000 $50 - Tours & Activities:
10% off Priceline Experiences (May 18–May 25)- Use code SUMMERSALE10
- Priceline VIPs and Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card members: An extra
15% off any coupon eligible deal (May 18–May 25)
Where to watch Priceline's new Negotiator campaign featuring Randall Park
The campaign begins with William Shatner, retired but still as committed as ever to fighting for the traveler, outraged by soaring travel costs and determined to find the next Priceline Negotiator. Priceline builds momentum around that search with a series of Shatner-led TikTok "interview" duets leading up to the reveal of Randall Park as his successor, alongside a remix of its signature Negotiator sting — one of the most recognizable audio assets in advertising — created in partnership with DJ David. The remix will roll out across TikTok and social platforms throughout the summer, introducing Priceline's ubiquitous earworm to a new generation of travelers.
The launch spot, The Handoff, culminates with Park acing Negotiator training and Shatner officially handing over the title. The campaign will roll out across broadcast, streaming, audio, social, and online video with high-impact takeovers and premium placements throughout the summer. To further Unbummer Your Summer, Priceline will also bring its value mindset to the media experience, unlocking ad-free listening and premium viewing experiences across streaming platforms, including Pandora, HBO Max, Peacock and Tubi.
The new Negotiator and Unbummer Your Summer campaign was developed in partnership with Priceline's interagency team, including creative agency MIRIMAR, media agency PHD, public relations agency Small Girls PR, and social media agency Hello There Collective. It was produced by SixTwentySix and directed by Evan Bourque.
New spots, new deals and more from the Negotiator will roll out all summer long.
He will not be taking a vacation. Everyone else should.
Watch the Handoff here and find summer deals now at Priceline.com/UnbummerYourSummer or in the Priceline app.
About Priceline
Priceline, part of Booking Holdings Inc. [NASDAQ: BKNG], has been helping travelers get better deals for more than 25 years. Using proprietary technology to analyze billions of data points, Priceline unlocks savings across hotels, flights, rental cars, cruises, vacation packages, and more. With inventory from trusted travel brands in more than 116 countries, 24/7 customer service, Priceline VIP, and Penny, its AI-powered travel assistant, Priceline helps travelers save smarter and book with confidence. No one deals more deals than Priceline.
1 According to a new Priceline survey, conducted by Wakefield Research, among a nationally representative sample of 2500 U.S. adults ages 18+, March 2026. Full findings will be released in Priceline's State of Summer Travel Report in June 2026.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/priceline-brings-back-the-negotiator-to-save-the-summer-vacation-302768856.html
SOURCE Priceline