SUSTAINABILITY NEWS By Hailey Findlay
In 2019 the world came together to participate in the Fridays for Change climate march, propelling the issue of climate change to the front of the general public’s minds.
While each utilises a slightly different approach, the one thing they each have in common that will help garner success in the court of public opinion? They walk the walk so they can talk the talk.
As the aviation industry recovers from the pandemic, the climate crisis is progressively becoming the key focus globally and airlines are vying to be seen as climate leaders in the industry.
In December 2021, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines released a campaign video beginning with the phrase, “For centuries, we’ve dreamed of travel to distant worlds. But pioneering sustainable aviation right here on Earth is our greatest adventure yet.”
The aviation industry is innovating at a rapid pace with news about sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen, and electric aircraft seemingly everywhere. However, while this news is highlighted on many airline websites, including many with their own branding, very few airlines are including these initiatives as key messaging in their marketing campaigns. Perhaps there is hesitation around discussing sustainability issues in the aviation industry too openly in the public domain due to negative public perception regarding the industry’s emissions, or fear of pointed fingers about “greenwashing.” KLM and Alaska Airlines have shed their hesitancy and brought their sustainability initiatives into their key messaging.
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The video, which highlights the balance we must find between protecting the planet and travelling the world, highlights the idea that people need to experience the world and the wonders of nature in different environments in order to want to protect it. The campaign video is beautifully composed, carries KLM’s branding throughout, and ends with a call to action that links to the airline’s web page for its “Fly Responsibly” campaign which features an intuitive user interface to highlight the carrier’s sustainability initiatives. By keeping its branding cohesive across all platforms and highlighting its “Fly Responsibly” campaign, KLM has successfully created a brand image that is synonymous with sustainability in aviation.
