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Air France 'Music in the Sky' | Since the launch of its ‘Air France Music’ initiative in 2010, the airline has built a reputation for offering exclusive musical content. Following its 'Side by Side' Facebook campaign, Air France launched its latest musical initiative in November, a global mobile music discovery app. 'Music in the Sky' is an app for iPhone and iPad that allows users to 'unlock' new tracks by pointing their devices upwards to the sky. The app uses an augmented reality element for users so that songs show up on the screen as little dots with music notes inside them. Users can then capture a song and add it to their playlist. ‘Music in the Sky’ also features different tracks in each country, so frequent travellers can discover more music through the Air France Music mobile platform. Additionally, users can test their music knowledge on the app to win “other unreleased tracks, concert tickets or even air tickets” by finding hidden games in the sky during certain times of the year. To celebrate the launch, Air France offered a preview of five unreleased songs from indie artists such as Francois & The Atlas Mountains and Melody's Echo Chamber. According to the airline's SVP Corporate Communications Adeline Challon-Kemoun, “music plays a central role in brand communication” for the airline, with the app being a way to “evoke the relaxed serenity of air travel” through music. By engaging users through unique music, Air France's app positions the airline as a trendy brand that places importance on the sensory elements of the customer experience. Downloadable through the iTunes store, the app was announced across Air France and Air France Music's social media profiles, giving it exposure to nearly 120,000 fans. Additionally, publications such as PSFK and FastCo picked up on its blend of music, travel and tech.
Delta 'Find the Red Coat' | Over the last two years, Delta has invested USD 1.4 billion into further developing New York as a major hub for the airline. In its latest effort to align itself with the city, Delta has launched a contest that offers 40 New Yorkers (and New York lovers) the chance to win a free flight to Los Angeles. Entitled 'Nonstop NYC', the contest features three ways to play: 'Find the Red Coat', ‘Weekly Missions’ and 'Up Your Score' upon registering through the mobile-optimized campaign website. 'Find the Red Coat' has contestants “answer a question to unlock clues to the Red Coat's location” online. The first contestant to physically spot the Delta Red Coat in New York and give the correct password is a winner of a flight to Los Angeles. Weekly Missions are a series of quizzes and tests on the 'Nonstop NYC' website; the latest is a test to quickly identify five New York landmarks and match them to their mapped locations. ' Up Your Score' on the other hand, has contestants check in at designated Delta locations through Facebook or Foursquare in New York or spread the word about the contest socially. Through this, Delta sets itself up to gain exposure to its contestants' social networks. Additionally, for certain clues and information on the contest, Delta had contestants follow them on Twitter. The airline has also promoted the seven-week-long contest to its 420,000+ Facebook fans, with between 200 and 800 'Likes' per posting. With its blend of social media and real-world experience, 'Nonstop NYC' is an excellent example of leveraging a strong market base (New York) to fortify the brand locally.
9 | Airline Marketing Benchmark Report | December 2012
