LAN USA 'Ticket Surprise' | Part of its multi-year 'Only in South America' campaign to promote the continent as a tourist destination, the North American ofce of LAN took to a collaboration with a popular South American-inspired restaurant in Oakland, California to surprise patrons with an offer. On January 23, 200 diners at the Bocanova restaurant in the city's Jack London District were interrupted from their meals to be surprised with free return tickets to South American destinations in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil on LAN or its Brazilian merger partner TAM (video here). According to LAN, Bocanova was selected as a venue for the ticket giveaway because of its “unique take on South American cuisine.” LAN also took the campaign online by posting videos containing ‘secret’ codes on its American Twitter and Facebook accounts between January 25 and 30. Those who spotted the codes in the videos could use them to enter a daily giveaway contest on Facebook, which included free tickets to South America. The initiative marks the second time LAN has conducted such a surprise giveaway. In October 2011, the airline surprised patrons of New York's Nuela restaurant to kick off the 'Only in South America' campaign.
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Air New Zealand UK 'Blind Gate' | With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Air New Zealand UK has launched a new initiative which uses its own flights to pair two strangers together on a blind date. Named 'Blind Gate', the campaign invites those looking for new love to sign up for a chance to compete in a blind date contest, with two lucky couples flying from London to Los Angeles on ANZ. With the initiative, ANZ aims to promote its London to LA route as well as its innovative Skycouch seat.
For Blind Gate, ANZ UK is collaborating with the Guardian newspaper, who had those interested in the contest sign up on their site. On Valentine's Day, ten shortlisted contestants will gather at a specially built TV studio at Heathrow's T1 to take part in the blind-date contest. Each contestant will bring a passport and a packed suitcase, and the two lucky couples chosen, one gay and one straight, will board an ANZ flight to LA as soon as the winners are announced. The couples will be seated on Air New Zealand's Skycouch, often referred to as “cuddle class”. To see how they get on, a camera crew from the Guardian will also document and follow the couples' holiday to LA, including coverage of the flight on the Skycouch, for a fve-episode series on the campaign website and for a feature in the Guardian's Weekend edition.
5 | Airline Marketing Benchmark Report | February 2013
