benchmark report
airline marketing
traditional
the big reward
champions never rest
AVIOS
ALASKA AIRLIINES
Travel rewards currency Avios (previously known as Airmiles) – which is the frequent flyer currency of the British Airways and Iberia loyalty programs – in June launched its ‘Big Reward’ campaign which offered the UK public the chance to win 50 pairs of BA flights by nominating someone to say thank you.
Friends and family could then submit nominations for people who have done something special for them. Over 2,500 thank you nominations were submitted in total. Among the winners were carers, inspirators and Rosemary - an elderly lady who saved the lives of 30 soldiers from the D-Day landing.
The objective of the campaign was to increase awareness and understanding of Avios as a travel rewards currency. The Big Reward campaign kicked off with a nominate call on Channel 4 TV. In the spot, comedian Chris Ramsay devotes a day to spending GBP250,000 on a host of items which are then donated to Avios’ charity partners. The reward points earned from the shopping spree are then converted into flight tickets for fifty deserving winners.
Avios then took over an entire Channel 4 commercial break on July 25th with a 3-minute spot that showed the heartwarming quest to turn travel rewards points into gifts for those who need them most.
SEPTEMBER 2014 ISSUE
The finale film will continue to run in a shorter edited 90”, 60” and two 20” spots on social media, including a competition to win further travel-related prizes. The 3-minutespot which will also be shown onboard BA flights.
As part of an ongoing sponsorship with American Football team Seattle Seahawks, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines earlier this year named Seahawks’ Quarterback Russell Wilson as its Chief Football Officer’ (video here ). As Chief Football Officer, Russel Wilson will appear at company events and take part in airline marketing, while Alaska will help sponsor his community support and charitable endeavors. For example, earlier this year, fans flying Alaska and wearing a Russell Wilson Seahawks shirt were allowed to board the aircraft before all other passengers during the full American Football season. Alaska Airlines has just released the first two of three comical TV commercials that Wilson shot with 40 production crew members and 13 actual employees on a Seattle middle
school field “one hot summer day not long ago,” in the airline’s words. In the first TV spot, called Training Camp (15,000 views so far), Wilson runs Alaska employees through drills that combine football and airline skills: high knees with suitcases, around cones with a stroller, lost teddy bear drill, snack delivery accuracy (#snackuracy) training, where flight attendants hurl bags of snacks at “passengers” painted on boards attached to golf carts. In a classroom, the employees identify routes: Albuquerque, New Orleans, Atlanta, Cancun. The second spot, Wisdom Wars (3,500 views so far), sees Wilson trading cliché inspirational sayings with an Alaska Airlines pilot in an effort to help the cabin crew “get game ready.”
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EXPERIENTIAL SOCIAL DIGITAL TV, PRINT, OOH
