benchmark report
airline marketing
tv, print, ooh
jennifer aniston vs nicole kidman
KLM music KLM Airlines have given their brands musical backdrops with great success. In last month’s repor t we looked at Brussels Airlines’ par tnership with Tomorrowland (the world’s largest electronic music festival) and Iberia’s new music por tal, Iberia Music, which links tunes to traveller’s itineraries. Aiming to inspire travellers to follow their passion for music on an international stage – and that it is the airline people love to take to new worlds – KLM has launched the ‘KLM Music’ campaign, using the tagline ‘We Take You, Where The Music Takes You.’ On the KLM Music microsite , visitors can learn more about KLM’s close ties to the Dutch electronic music scene, buy tickets to music festivals while booking their flights to get there, and put themselves on a guestlist for events for a chance to win a
SEPT 2015 ISSUE
EMIRATES, ETIHAD VIP package, including free travel and VIP tickets. The campaign is par t of an ongoing program by KLM to connect with music fans. The airline has called attention to music and events over the past two years and has worked together with internationally renowned Dutch DJs Armin van Buren and Hardwell . The airline has also previously entered par tnerships with musical events such as the Amsterdam Dance Event, Mystery Land and Lowlands. KLM introduced the campaign internationally with a cinematic commercial , which features cities like New York, London and Shanghai, brought to life by the vibrant Dutch expor t of music.
Reaching out to a broader audience of fans, Gulf-based carriers have expanded from sponsoring major soccer teams to signing up big celebrity names to become the ‘face’ of their airline. Etihad last year contracted Nicole Kidman to represent its latest ‘Reimagined’ brand campaign, following Danii Minogue who promoted the airline’s new A380/B787 interiors when they were first revealed. Jennifer Anniston, 46, has now signed a USD5 million deal to appear in adver ts for Emirates Airlines. Aniston will appear across TV and print ads worldwide. Vishal Anand, CEO of Dubai-based communication Gulf News agency, Blue Apple told that both airlines would have done due diligence and carefully analysed their stars profiles to ensure their values are aligned with the airline brand. “Emirates and Etihad would have..looked at personality matches, influence of the star, their target markets and the message they want to send before approaching these celebrities. If done
properly, celebrity endorsements can do wonders to a brand.” The National contrasts the choice of the two actresses by Etihad and Emirates respectively. By choosing Aniston, it reports , “Emirates has chosen to associate its brand with smiles and fun.” While Kidman brings a cer tain élan to Etihad, Aniston transfers her ‘Friends’ spirit and approachability to Emirates. “As well as being funny and relatable, one of Aniston’s most endearing qualities is that, despite her fame and wealth, she somehow manages to maintain that ‘girl next door’ charm.” This fresh and light persona fits well with aims of the airline’s new ‘Be There’ campaign, featured in our July 2015 repor t, which targets what the airline dubbed the ‘Globalista’ lifestyle. Additional recommended reading: “Are Celebrities Effective As A Branding Method For Airlines?”
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EXPERIENTIAL SOCIAL DIGITAL TV, PRINT, OOH
