Hawaiian Airlines - Return with Aloha

Australian advertising agency whiteGREY has produced its first piece of work for Hawaiian Airlines.

Called ‘Return with Aloha’, it is aimed specifically at the Australia and New Zealand leisure market, encouraging leisure travellers to cross the Pacific and visit the Hawaiian islands (with Hawaiian Airlines).

According to the agency, while Hawaii appeals as a destination, they wanted to try and break the sense of loyalty people have to their national airlines (e.g Qantas and Air New Zealand).

Agency boss Chad Mackenzie says, “Our insight very clearly indicated that the people of Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaii’s culture and the Aloha spirit is what makes the airline stand out from its competitors.

The result is a campaign showing the people of Hawaii’s kindness and love; the airline’s outstanding service and the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands all under the Return with Aloha banner.

We’d question whether that’s really unique. Yes, the idea of “Aloha” is Hawaiian, but lots of airlines promote the idea that they embody the spirit and sense of hospitality you find in their home country. As a result, while the ad is beautifully shot, the claims about “compassion, kindness, love” are ones just about any airline (or indeed hospitality brand) can make.

And as far as the idea of embodying the spirit of your home country goes, this is what Qantas did with its “Australian Spirit” campaign last year.

Really to make this campaign work, and to have the idea of “Aloha” stick, we’d say there needs to be more than just a series of ads.

Rather, there has to be a wider and ongoing brand campaign demonstrating exactly what the spirit of Aloha means, and how the airline lives and breathes it, as part of its day to day operations.