benchmark report
airline marketing
tv, print, ooh
“we’re flying with the germans”
the center of it all
LUFTHANSA Lufthansa proved that it is comfor table having a laugh at its own expense (while ribbing England football rivals a bit) with a new “We’re flying with the Germans” spot prepared around the Euro 2016 cup. The commercial plays off the existing rivalry between the German and English teams and was launched to coincide with the airline’s “Fanhansa” football campaign. Lufthansa is also encouraging fans to apply for the chance to be memorialised on the livery of the Lufthansa aircraft which will fly the German team to France. In the shor t commercial, Lufthansa shows England fans headed for a Euro 2016 match who discover--at the last minute--that they have to “fly with the Germans.” One of the fans flashes to his worst fears over the Lufthansa onboard experience, as the airline plays off tropes of German JUNE 2016 ISSUE
DELTA culture, including flight attendants dressed in severe Bavarian hunting outfits who serve large sausages with a bad attitude in an poorly decorated cabin featuring a cuckoo clock to keep the time. Behind the England fan, sits a child rooting for the German home team making faces and rude gestures. Eventually, the nightmare is over, and the England fan finds himself in a pleasant realworld Lufthansa onboard experience-though the troublemaking kid is still seated behind him. It’s all in good fun. The airline has been promoting the campaign on Twitter each week during special matches leading up to the Euro 2016 cup finals with Tweets sharing the the video before matches. The hashtag #Fanhansa is in turn being used to encourage conversation in the build up to Euro 2016.
Delta has released another in its series of evocative TV spots featuring the voice of actor Donald Sutherland, this time focused on its international hub in Seattle. ‘The Center of It All’ highlights the city’s strategic position as a bridge to Asia, “as close to Tokyo as it is to London.” Delta has had an ongoing rivalry with Alaska Airlines--which has been considered Seattle’s hometown airline for decades. The two airlines have been pitted against each other competing for routes and customers, and this commercial is Delta’s way to plant a flag and firmly declare itself an integral par t of Seattle life. To reinforce this point, Delta has also lent its suppor t to the Seattle’s Founders FC with a unique patchwork campaign to create a new display--following the team’s tradition of having unique displays on show during matches at CenturyLink Field. The airline is collaborating with Sounders FC, goalkeeper
Stefan Frei and fans to create a unique canvas “Fabric of Seattle” celebrating the players, the fans, and the City of Seattle. Built in stages, the display will measure 200 feet in length when completed. It will grow--piece by piece--before it’s stitched together and unveiled on September 28th at the team’s match against Chicago. Each of the six pieces has a theme message which embodies the Seattle spirit reinforcing the prime message “You can’t stop Seattle.” Delta has announced that the last piece “You Can’t Stop Us Anywhere” will be created by a plane full of fans at 30,000 feet in the air on a private flight destined for Por tland. The airline is running a promotion for a chance to win a seat aboard the special flight. Delta also prepared a special video marking the launch of its Sounders FC campaign.
9
EXPERIENTIAL SOCIAL DIGITAL TV, PRINT, OOH
