benchmark report
airline marketing
experiential
airplane apartment
cover greetings
KLM X AIRBNB
KLM
KLM has teamed up with popular accomodation site Airbnb for a promotion in which aviation enthusiasts could win a night’s stay inside one of the airline’s just-retired MD-11s parked at its hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The 366m2 plane has been stripped of its functional seats and boasts a game room, play area, a master bedroom, a terrace and a private cinema.
The Airplane Apartment was available for three nights only, from November 28 to 30. To be considered, would-be house guests had to submit a message of 100 words or less via the Airbnb listing why he or she “should win a night at a KLM airplane.”
In its listing for the Amsterdam ‘Spacious Airplane Apartment’ Airbnb says the Wi-Fi equipped two-bedroom lodging option also comes with two kitchens, a living room, eight “small” bathrooms, 116 windows and “a giant cockpit panorama window.”
The tongue in cheek house rules included “No flying” and “Please treat our plane like you treat your own plane,” and the first guests were Cristina en Tommaso from Rome, who were welcomed by a KLM stewardess (full report of their stay here ).
A one-night stay on board the MD-11 was on offer for three lucky people chosen from everyone who requested to book the apartment via Airbnb. They were flown in
The Airbnb competition earned KLM massive media coverage and a total of 10.207 people applied for a chance to stay a night at the MD11 apartment.
DECEMBER 2014 ISSUE
from anywhere in the world by KLM and also received an EUR 500 Airbnb voucher.
In the past months KLM has also launched several initiatives to surprise passengers with unexpected touches, such as setting up a dedicated ‘Lost & Found’ team at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport that aims to reunite lost items as soon as possible with their legitimate owner via social media. Furthermore, KLM’s bold #HappyToHelp campaign saw a dedicated team scanning social media during five days for any passenger facing travel woes throughout the world, and respond with real-time answers and support. In an effort to highlight the sheer diversity of stories of passengers travelling with KLM on a given day, KLM’s latest initiative is called ‘Cover Greetings’ and involved placing a personal message from loved ones who are staying at home to their boyfriend, girlfriend
or relative on the headrest of their KLM aircraft seat. The airline spotted people saying goodbye to their families at the departure gate, then whisked their relatives away to a place where they could decorate a seat cover with their own message. KLM and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport worked together to ensure that the personal message was placed on the right seat in the aircraft. A moving video showing passengers’ responses has been posted on YouTube (625,000 views) and the video is also played on a large centrally located screen at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Although the stunt took place on a single day, involving passengers from three different flights, KLM says it might develop ‘Cover Greetings’ into a permanent service.
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EXPERIENTIAL SOCIAL DIGITAL TV, PRINT, OOH
