benchmark report
airline marketing
fly the friendly skies
land of barcelona
UNITED
In a bold move back to the past, United has resurrected a tag line to its advertising campaigns not seen since 1996. ‘Fly The Friendly Skies ’ was the iconic message created by Leo Burnett in 1965, which has now been brought back to life in the new multimedia ad campaign by McGarryBowen that is United’s biggest in decades. The campaign also features George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” the identifiable rift United has been using continuously in advertising since 1987. According to Tom O’Toole, United’s SVP Marketing and Loyalty, “The real aim of the new adver tising campaign is to say to say to customers, co-workers and competitors that United is back in the game in a big way.” The series of four videos, which showcase
OCTOBER 2013 ISSUE
QATAR AIRWAYS
all ot the main areas of improvement – from route network to inflight products – is suppor ted by a standalone website that showcases in fur ther detail the marketing message that the airline is now trying to impar t. The adver tising spots, which took primetime slots on US television, was also suppor ted by a large print campaign , including taking over 42nd Street-Bryant Park Station subway station in New York.
FC Barcelona has recently chosen Qatar Airways as the first commercial shirt par tner in the club’s 114-year history. In a campaign to celebrate this partnership, Qatar Airways transports its viewers to a fictional island home for the global suppor ters of the ‘Blaugrana’ in a feat of creativity and ingenuity.
teaches a soccer-based dance class, and Carles Puyol heads a potted plant falling out a window as if it were a soccer ball. With over 3.6 million views in less than a month, the campaign has become a huge viral success for both the airline and the football team.
The feel-good spot, created by 180 Amsterdam , is set in the mythical “Land of FCB ”, a country brimming with billboards, cars, and clothing featuring FC Barcelona’s signature maroon and blue team colors. Mixed among the citizens are cameos from some of the world’s greatest soccer players, including Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué. Accompanied by Jackie Wilson’s iconic soundtrack“Higher and Higher,” Messi
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X-MEDIA EXPERIENTIAL SOCIAL DIGITAL TRADITIONAL
