KIDS ‘REACH FOR THE SKY!’
SPIRIANT adores amenity kits SPIRIANT expands its expertise and global presence in Amenity Kits Along with a continuous worldwide growth, we bring together and develop unique expertise to be your trusted partner. This is why we have created a new team dedicated to your passengers’ needs in the exclusive field of amenity kits and onboard comfort. Whether it is the high-end branded kits for premium passengers or smart personalized kits for buy-onboard concepts - SPIRIANT adores amenity kits and will help you to make the right choice for your passengers. To get an insight on the latest trends and designs contact us at info@spiriant.com or visit www.spiriant.com for more information.
From The Editor
From the Editor
A
s the lengthy school summer holidays came to an end, I was mindful of how much time as a parent I spent trying to appease, amuse and occupy my nine year old daughter! On the sunniest of days bouncing on the trampoline & drenching the dog in gallons of water would suffice, unfortunately on those not so blue-skied days the Ipad became a life saver, with the odd board game dragged out from the back of the cupboard and heaven forbid the old fashioned, I use that term loosely, colouring books and pens strategically placed on the dining room table in the vain hope they might be used! With this in mind, it is only fitting that this month’s issue primarily takes an indepth view into the bright, colourful world of kid’s amenities. On beginning this journey my team & I were pleasantly surprised at the wealth of information and enthusiasm there was surrounding this particular area of the market. It soon became apparent that the industry has really grasped the nettle in realising that for those frequent flyers with children, they are ‘Oh so much happier’ when their little explorers are content, amused and not continually asking “Are we there yet?” Designers from some of the major suppliers are overflowing with ideas ranging from interactive board games, funky clothing accessories and full on branding, all of which is discussed in this issue. I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that Amenities is now the official media partner to the TravelPlus Airline Amenity Bag Awards. In relation to this we will be publishing a supplement in our April issue, bringing you all the judges’ feedback and comments on the 2016 awards which are now open for entry. I hope that you enjoy this issue of Amenities as much as my team and I did producing it.
Editor in Chief
AMENITIES IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY...
Editor in Chief Debra Bradbury-Ward
Editor Hayley Ingram
Features Editor Lily-Fleur Bradbury
Designer Alison Cutler
Publisher Simon Ward
Published by TravelPlus Media Limited, Office 11, Dana Trading Estate, Transfesa Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 6UT.
Tel: +44 (0) 1892 837934. Editorial: editorial@travelplus.co.uk / Advertising: advertising@travelplus.co.uk AMENITIES MAGAZINE
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Contents
In this issue... TINC Amenities caught up with Founder Jos Baker
ARE WE THERE YET? Is everyone getting what they need?
CHILD’S PLAY Are Children’s Amenities keeping up with today’s techno driven world?
THE BRANDING BOOM Are we going Logo Loco?
OPINION Natural Hydrating Skin Products Please!
IN THE SPOTLIGHT From Russia With Love
SURVEY RESULTS Kits for Children: The Airlines’ Perspective
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23 26
28 30
Front Cover Photography by Katey Halford, Face2Face. Models: Freya Ward, Teddy Watmough, Francesca Halford
Copyright © TravelPlus Media Limited, 4 The Arcade, Front Street, Tynemouth, NE30 4BS. Printed in the UK by Principal Colour Ltd. All right reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited. The title Amenities is published twice a year and is a trading division of TravelPlus Media Limited. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information is correct, neither the author nor publisher can be held responsible for inadvertent inaccuracies or omissions. The views of the writers in Amenities are not necessarily share by the publisher.
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THE NEWS The world’s first interactive airline amenity kit in Economy Class. A good looking kit from Emirates that will certainly be used long after your flight. The AR provides a unique way to pass time on long flights and will surely be a hit with the children, with its colouring tools, various animals and shades.
Cathay ditches ear plugs & cleaning cloth for mouth wash in amenity kits. Passengers told the airline mouthwash was an “essential” travel accessory and Cathay has listened. New-look kits now include mouthwash (but no ear plugs or cleaning cloth), along with Jurlique lip balm, day cream and hand cream, antiskid socks, an eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste.
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The News
Etihad Airways launches new children’s activity packs for young explorers. Etihad Airways has introduced a new range of ‘Etihad Explorers’ children’s activity packs and a Flying Nanny Kit, to keep its younger guests occupied whilst onboard. Etihad Explorers is the airline’s new children’s brand, and will feature on activity packs and meal items, and aims to instill a sense of excitement and anticipation during their journey. On inbound flights to Abu Dhabi, a new collectable character bag for three to eight year-olds contains an activity booklet, crayons, card games and a colour-in mask. The pack on flights from Abu Dhabi includes a unique suitcase board game which allows parents and children to play together, a foam lion character, colourin postcards, crayons, and a handy waterproof travel wallet. Having a different pack on each leg ensures that children are kept well entertained on both journeys. For nine to 13 year olds there is a more mature activity pack which is guaranteed to puzzle and delight, containing Sudoku, mazes, lined notes and join-the-dot games. These packs also contain an Abu Dhabi themed pencil case, pencil, a dual-function bookmark and ruler, and a notepad. Tech savvy tots can also enjoy a range of films, television programs, games, and child-friendly albums and CDs through the dedicated ‘Just 4 Kids’ section on the Etihad Airways E-BOX inflight entertainment system, all of which can be enjoyed on the touchscreen and/or handset. For guests flying long-haul, every aircraft is staffed by a Flying Nanny. 6
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(From left to right) Turky Alhammadi, Etihad Airways Manager Product – Guest Experience, Linda Celestino, Etihad Airways Vice President Guest Services, Calum Laming, Etihad Airways Vice President Guest Experience, and Sajida Ismail, Vice President Service and Hospitality, cutting the cake in celebration of the launch of the new Etihad Explorers children’s activity kits and the new Flying Nanny kit.
Trained by the UK’s world renowned Norland College. The new Flying Nanny Kit promotes greater interaction between nanny and child and contains an extensive range of fun items including Origami, games, pom-poms, flight certificates, tools for magic tricks and face-painting, and a ‘Flying Nanny stamp of approval’ which the nanny can use to reward children during their in-flight activities. Shane O’Hare, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President Marketing, told Amenities: “We understand that flying as a family can often prove daunting for parents and children alike, especially when travelling long-
haul. The new kits will help our crew members with the tools they need to provide our young guests, and ultimately their parents, with a truly memorable flight.” The new kits were created by Milk Jnr’s & Kidworks and Zoe Telfer, Milk Jnr’s Client Services Director, told us: “The aim of this project was to create an engagement solution for families travelling with children. We created kids packs for long and short haul flights that reflect Etihad’s premium service and reputation, while paying careful attention to the airline’s distinctive brand.”
The News
Air Serbia launches new route – with new kits to match! Air Serbia, the official airline of the Republic of Serbia, has recently launched its first long haul route serving New York City, USA. The transatlantic flight is operated five times a week on a leased A330200 aircraft.
The brief was extensive and Galileo Products were entrusted to deliver both the Economy and Premium amenity kit, comfort inserts and skincare items, as well as blankets, pillows, headphones, kid’s animation packs and wash room items.
Galileo Products worked closely with Air Serbia to design and manufacture the full complement of onboard amenities. The project was delivered within one of the fastest timescales, with just 45 days from product sign off.
The items have been designed to enhance the on-board environment and offer customers the upmost comfort at 37,000ft.
easyJet launches ‘Little Traveller’s Log Book’.
New ECO kits for S7 Airlines.
More than 700,000 families travel with easyJet, over the summer, and to make young travellers journeys even more exciting the airline has launched its ‘Little Traveller’s Log Book’.
S7 Airlines, Russia’s largest domestic carrier introduces new 100% recyclable business class kits.
The Little Traveller’s Log Book contains fun flying facts, information about pioneering aviators and a full flight log including flight number, route, total miles and space for the Captain’s signature to keep little ones entertained inflight. Young passengers of all ages will be invited to give their Log Book to the cabin crew for signing by the captain or on some flights may even be invited to take it into the cockpit once they have landed in their destination.
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The paper bags feature pictures by the Russian artist and sculptor Dmitry Shorin who is the youngest contemporary artist honored with a solo exhibition in Marble Palace of State Russian Museum and a Kandinsky Prize nominee. The kits include all the usual items for a comfortable journey: socks, eye-mask, earplugs and etc, as well as refreshing sweets and Natura Siberica hand cream. Alexander Ferents, Managing Director of AK Service commented “We are very happy to be working with S7 Airlines continuing our long term relationship in providing great and original onboard amenity kits”
The News
EVA Air redesigns THANN amenity bag for Elite Class.
Second generation of SWISS’s First Class kits to be launched.
EVA Air will be extending the cooperation with THANN for the indulgence of their Elite Class’s passengers with an all new design kit.
This Autumn, Swiss International Airlines’ introduces a newly designed edition of the gender specific bag. The second generation of SWISS’s amenity kits have had a complete redesign, but will again be available as a male and female version. Female and male will have the same style, women will receive a sand coloured kit, with men receiving the tobacco coloured counterpart.
EVA Air has been working with FORMIA for several years now and has been regularly updating the design of their Premium Economy class THANN bags. The new THANN bag comes in one colour combination – green and brown. The scheme features and brings out EVA Air’s subtle Elite cabin colors to nicely blend itself into the airline, creating a coherent onboard experience. Made to be multi-functional and encourage continued use after the flight, the bag opens up like a book and has a hook attachment, giving passengers a perfect place to keep their toiletries when they arrive at their hotel destination. The inside of the bag is built with net organizers in the lining, giving you a DIY shelf
for all your necessities, making them very accessible. This includes THANN’s signature products; Rice Extract Lip Balm and Rice Extract Moisturizing Cream to comfort the passengers during the long flight. Commenting, FORMIA Managing Director, Roland Grohmann, commented “We are immensely proud that EVA Air continues to place their trust in FORMIA with the supply of their amenity kits.
Wistiki the end of lost by Phillippe Stark. Whether it’s turning your room upside down or frantically reaching behind sofa cushions, we are all familiar with the frantic search for keys while rushing. Wistiki come in three different modes to adapt to your lifestyle: hola! is the credit card-sized version that easily fits into wallets, voila! goes on to keys and any gadgets you typically lose and aha! is designed to fit on your luggage By dowloading the app, available on App Store and Google Play, it now becomes much easier to find all your daily items.
Within the kits guests will find exclusive la prairie cosmetic items, socks and an eyeshade, ear plugs, tissues and a comb for the gentlemen, and a brush for the ladies. The colour concept is an elegant mix of the Swiss brand Zimmerli’s signature colours, and all items, except the eyeshade, will be presented in the coordinating colours. “Introducing the second generation is both an acknowledgement to the original, and open mindedness towards enhancements. We are excited to take the next step by staying consistent, keeping everything high quality, with top-end brand cosmetics, whilst continuing to be progressive at the same time. SWISS is a loyal partner; we consider the cooperation fruitful and inspiring both ways”, said Wolfgang Bücherl, Managing Director of Skysupply. AMENITIES MAGAZINE
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The News
Oman Air welcomes its 250th member to the Junior Sindbad Flyer Campaign.
FORMIA introduces new gender specific amenity kits for Saudia’Business Class.
The national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, launched its Junior Sindbad Flyer campaign in July 2016 and has already welcomed its 250th member.
The new on-board amenity kit featuring the luxury brands FURLA for women and Porsche Design for men come with premium cosmetic brands Acca Kappa and THANN. The programme, which invites passengers between four and twelve years of age to participate in a campaign and collect a free flight, has been well received and is making air travel even more exciting for young customers. Every Junior Sindbad Flyer receives their own Oman Air passport which is stamped and signed by the captain on every flight they take. Once they have collected 10 stamps and signatures, they will be able to claim a free flight to any destination within the Oman Air network. Aws Moawiya Alrawas was the 250th member to join Oman Air’s Junior Sindbad Flyer Campaign and was presented with his Oman Air passport. 10
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Roland Grohmann, Managing Director of FORMIA, commented: “ It is always our pleasure to add a new name to our ever growing list of valued clients and we very much look forward to a long term cooperation with Saudia to bring about the in-flight wellness and comfort kit to their passengers.” Saudia takes the indulgent experience of their business class passengers to another level by offering varieties of gender specific amenity kits that will be altered every three months. Differently coloured cases will be offered for passengers to collect throughout the year. The men’s amenity kit of Porsche
Design is inspired by the brand’s Roadster 3.0. Travel Collection – the perfect companion for the modern business traveller. The amenity kit features three cosmetics from Acca Kappa; Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer, Soothing & Invigorating Hand Cream and lip balm stick from their signature 1869 Collection. The women’s luxurious miniature FURLA bag inspired by their famous and elegant retail hand bags will be offered together with THANN’s natural skin care products, This classic bag design was not only made for a second use for make up or toiletries, but also as a fashionable clutch to use on the weekends – completely multifunctional. The modern black bag opens up with a gold zip pull, which is a quintessential representation of the FURLA brand.
“currently offered in ANA long-haul Business Class�
INTERVIEW 
Tinc is a British-born, family led stationery brand that has its focus firmly on the fun – and to appeal to children from 4 to 44 years old! 12
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Amenities caught up with founder Jos Baker to discover more about the brand and his experience of travelling with his 4 children.
INTERVIEW
What inspired you to set up Tinc? We spotted a gap in the UK market for fun and fashionable stationery and lifestyle products, primarily for kids but also for adults. My wife Heli is the Creative Director and has always had a passion for creating products that have great design features and attention to detail but also perform their function well. What are the core values of the business? Tinc stands for Think.Inspire.Create and inspiring creativity is at the heart of everything we do.
merchandising in store and online. We find customers want to collect every product in a specific colour! You appear to be encouraging a connection between your product and online activity (Tincville) why? We are keen to promote creativity through all mediums and as the online space is such a huge area we want to be able to define ourselves there. Do you test your ideas on children before launching? Yes. We are lucky enough to have 4 children so a home grown panel!
What age-groups of children do you appeal to?
Which are your best selling items?
Our customer starts around age 5-6 and peaks around 12. However our quirkiness continues to appeal to teenagers and students, and some adults too!
Pencil cases are always popular (current best seller is one with eyes that light up). We also do really well with gadgets such as our Big Boom Speaker.
What was the thinking behind the 5 colours of branded stationery?
Why travel bags and luggage?
We wanted to create an identity through our products to make them instantly identifiable as Tinc products. Our rigid adherence to our prime colours has helped achieve this. It also makes for very strong visual
We initially stocked just backpacks, but as they were so popular we decided to branch out into more travel items. Parents love to buy our products for kids when they are going on holiday so the enhanced range fitted well. Children also use them as bags for activities such as dance,
swimming etc. What is your experience of keeping children entertained whilst flying? With 4 children I have had a fair bit of experience! Keeping calm as parents is the number one thing. Also not seeing the flight as a “big deal” but something to enjoy. Then a mixture of: movies, activities such as colouring in, sticker books etc – it is amazing how fast the time flies! Also completing a holiday journal on the way home gives them something to remember the holiday by. What do you think of children’s kits provided by airlines? Although some are done well, I think they could be improved. By improving the quality you are more likely to create something that the children want to keep for longer than the flight. What do you think are the most important items to include in a kit to ensure children are entertained? A journal to write up their holiday experiences, along with a good pen/ pencils. An activity book with things such as word search, colouring in etc. Something fun for them to keep – a cool keyring or slap wristband for example. AMENITIES MAGAZINE
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INTERVIEW 
The TravelPlus Airline Amenity Bag Awards The most prestigious awards in the onboard hospitality sector are now open for entries
Have YOU got what it takes? To request your Entry Pack email
info@travelplusawards.com
Dates to remember
Entry closes on 9th December 2016 2016 Shortlist Announced on 24th February 2017 Awards Ceremony 4th April 2017 at Radisson Blu Hotel, Hamburg
Early Bird Ceremony Tickets now available book online at www.travelplusawards.com
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Children's Amenity Kits
ARE WE THERE YET? The quest to create the best Child’s Amenity Kit continues – is everyone getting what they need?
w
ith a new era of long haul flights, and the continual rise of families looking further afield for the family holiday, brings an increase in the number of children experiencing long haul, and luxury travel. This is leading airlines to perceive these pint-sized-travellers in a new light, as possible loyal customers and brand ambassadors of the future. With this in mind, Airlines across the world are looking into ways to develop toys, gifts
and games that they can gift to their younger passengers, which work on a number of levels. These kits need to keep them entertained whilst onboard, allowing their parents and guardians, and fellow passengers a few hours of peace and quiet, and be interesting enough to take away with them long after their journey is over. Amenities Magazine is going to delve deep into the world of children’s
amenity kits, taking a look at what exists now, and what the future might be. With technology constantly changing, and airlines beginning to put more money into this sector of the market, there could be exciting things on the horizon. By talking to leading luminaries in the worlds of children’s amenities, design, supply and specialists in children’s travel, Amenities will explore the newest trends in kid’s kits, evaluate what AMENITIES MAGAZINE
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Children's Amenity Kits
“Airline’s often divide their onboard offerings to their child passengers into age group categories, generally 2-6 years and 6-12 years, with little on offer for the 12+ category.”
works and what doesn’t, and deliver an unparalleled insight into this growing market sector. Currently, Airlines often divide their onboard offerings to their child passengers into age group categories, generally 2 – 6 years and 6 – 12 years, with little on offer for the 12+ category. However, at the 2015 TravelPlus Airline Amenity Bag Awards, there was a new category that started to make headway into the market place – that of the baby kit. These kits are offered to parents, and contain a few essential items for travelling with the youngest possible passenger. The kits had an attractive design, with fabrics and colours suitable for the age group. However, these onboard gifts are designed to make the parent’s lives easier, and could be seen as a further
with both recognisable, licensed brands, and Airline’s own designs and characters making an appearance. However, they have one clear objective, to make long haul travel as interesting and stress free for all involved. When children reach the age of 12, they are considered an adult in the eyes of the airlines, and are gifted with adult’s kits. As Charlotte Gade from specialist company KIDZInflight commented, this is probably due to 12 years of age being the cut-off point for a child’s airline ticket, after this point they are required to buy an adult fare. Unfortunately, the adults kits are not often suitable for passengers who are, primarily, still children. They are filled with lotions and creams for hydration of skin, razors and perfumes suited
“Bags filled with colouring books, crayons, activities, sweets, hats and much more are encased in colouring offerings that appeal to the younger travellers.” thank you from the airline for their most loyal passengers.
AirFrance baby kit offered to families travelling with babies under two. Contains a new born nappy, a bib, a child-sized spoon, a cuddly toy, Nivea baby wipes and Nivea moisturising cream. Supplied by Albea Group.
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As you move up the age-groups, it becomes clear that the airlines very much have the child passengers in mind when designing their kits. Bags filled with colouring books, crayons, activities, sweets, hats and much more are encased in colouring offerings that appeal to the younger travellers. These bags take on a variety of forms,
to business travellers, but very little in the way of entertainment. This is a missed opportunity by Airlines, as these children are of an age that brand awareness, and the consciousness of what is ‘cool’ is at its peak, and fashion and brand loyalty is becoming increasingly important. If Airlines are wanting to create their customers of the future, surely there should be more attention paid to this age-group? As the area in which a number of airlines are starting to invest their money, Amenities magazine team believe that it will be an interesting and bright future for the Children’s Amenities sector. There is a long way to go to make it perfect, and some hurdles of technology and budgeting to overcome, but we are excited to see how it all develops.
Children's Amenity Kits
Child’s Play Are Children’s Amenities keeping up with today’s techno driven world?
w
ith the advancement of technology dominating the world of gaming and entertainment for the children of today, suppliers have found the need for children’s amenity kits to evolve in order to compete with popular gaming consoles, iPads and Apps, as well as the airlines own Inflight Entertainment. Airlines are now beginning to explore the opportunity to engage with their young travellers by incorporating virtual or augmented reality into the toys, games and kits they gift their young travellers onboard. Along with this, Designers and suppliers alike are being seriously challenged by the airlines, to come 18
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up with new ideas and products for children’s onboard entertainment via both digital and non-digital gaming. The integration of technology is very much in vogue but the gift must also educate and entertain all within very tight budgetary constraints. As you can see there is a lot to be considered! The fast moving pace of technology might baffle many of us, however today children have been immersed in it from a very young age and therefore adapt to new developments far quicker as it has become a part of everyday life. Nevertheless you may be surprised to hear that, when it comes
to gaming, children don’t seem to see such a difference between digital and non-digital games. They’ve had the luxury of growing up with both options for the majority of their lives, and as long as they are being entertained they are happy! Understanding this perspective, it became clear to ‘Amenities’ that both mediums of entertainment are essential, and finding a happy balance is perhaps the key to success. Although the progression of technology has had many positives, it has led to a generation of children kept quiet by tablets, craving
Children's Amenity Kits
“We are constantly developing children’s kits with a particular focus on adding innovation through technology to our products.” Watermark’s Creative Director, Alex Atkinson
Space Kids Mission Moonstone characters and products by Watermark Products
interaction with others - especially their parents. In speaking to Charlotte Gade from KIDZInFlight we found that we are arguably living with a ‘generation of lonely children,’ as, having carried out a study asking children what they would prefer to be doing if they had a spare hour in the day; a) Watch TV, b) Play on their console/Ipad/tablet OR c) Have an hour of family time, KIDZinflight discovered almost all of the children would want family time. Learning this, it’s no surprise that over the last few year’s board games have grown with increasing popularity, and are back with new energy. It is therefore understandable that both airlines and suppliers have looked to creating kids kits with content that can be played as an individual or with others, including parents or other children. Zoe Telefer, Clients Services Director from Milk Junior and Kidsworks was also keen to stress that these, ‘traditional and engaging games that require an amount of puzzle solving and concentration are still very popular.’ So great: the cabin is happy, the children are happy AND the parents are happy? It’s true in everyday life, parents prefer their children to be doing something that is non-digital based, and anything to get them off their I-pads is a success. However, although a wonderful alternative, the family-bonding games may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and certainly not for the entire flight. After a while, playing these traditional games individually is bound to run out of entertainment value. This is where the strong need for technology to be incorporated into Kid’s Kits is essential, to give parents the opportunity to relax, perhaps with a cherished
Gin & Tonic or two, whilst providing a variety of stimulus to keep their children entertained. This is where the new and exciting world of Gamification steps in. Now, with two very different meanings, Gamification can be a cause of confusion. The original meaning relates to the incorporation of Gaming elements into non-gaming contexts, such as marketing - to engage a consumer. We, at Amenities, are more interested in its second meaning; that of traditional games being played via modern technology, for example; Scrabble played on an iPad. This is Gamification in its simplest form, and doesn’t create a strong enough connection between the airline and the child. As Petros Sakkis, the Vice President of International Relations from Wessco puts it, ‘The ultimate objective for any airline is to provide an augmented experience for young travellers so as to form a bond at an early age.’ As we delve deeper into the possibilities of gamification, there are endless ways of creating fun and games for kids onboard, with both traditional and tech games working simultaneously together in order to create this augmented and 3D flight experience that Petros suggests. Slowly, but surely, we are starting to see an integration of technology, with Virtual Reality (VR) emerging in children’s amenity kits, with specific apps created by suppliers and airlines. This technology can be downloaded onto their iPads, and used in conjunction with the challenges or objects found in their activity kits. One supplier who has taken this leap is Watermark Products, having created ‘Space Kids Mission Moonstone’, an innovative Virtual Reality app that can be used in alongside a cardboard reality viewer supplied in their kid’s amenity kits. Not only has it been developed for in-flight but also for pre and post-flight use, with a 360 AMENITIES MAGAZINE
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Children's Amenity Kits
“The ultimate objective for any airline is to provide an augmented experience for young travellers so as to form a bond at an early age.” Petros Sakkis, the Vice President of International Relations
degree option for when you are using it outside the confines of the plane. Watermark’s Creative Director, Alex Atkinson states, ‘We are constantly developing children’s kits with a particular focus on adding innovation through technology to our products. In addition to our developments in virtual reality we have also developed augmented reality apps which can bring standard products, such as a colouring book, to life through the use of a smartphone or tablet.’ Atkinson highlights another element of gamification, that of Augmented Reality (AR) Gaming. The most prominent emergence of this we have seen over the last six months is the development and release of the unparalleled Pokemon Go App, ‘a location based augmented reality game,’ which uses a mobile’s GPRS system to locate, capture, battle and train virtual creatures. Other developments that we have come across are card games, which when looking through an iPad or iPhone, with the use of a specific app, brings each card to life with its own individual character. However, it appears this technology might not just be for the kids onboard! Over the summer we have seen the release of Emirates first interactive kit, which uses augmented reality to unlock immersive content on
Singapore Airlines, Star Wars and Disney Princess little travellers kits jam-packed with fun activities by Buzz Products
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mobile devices. This is aimed primarily at adults and is certainly an exciting development for the future of amenity kits for both adults and children. This exciting new integration of technology and traditional gaming certainly seems to be the way forward in the world of children’s amenity kits and provides that happy balance we’re looking for, the only obstacle suppliers are faced with now are the airlines’ budgets. Having carried out a survey during our research, the majority of airlines seem to be looking into increasing their budget when it comes to kids as they increasingly understand the future potential that their younger
“traditional and engaging games that require an amount of puzzle solving and concentration are still very popular.” Zoe Telefer, Clients Services Director from Milk Junior and Kidsworks
passengers offer. We can only hope that these budgets prove to be substantial enough to include both traditional entertainment content, whilst also delivering the exciting new opportunity of Gamification to the young globe trotters of today. This younger generation will perhaps start to expect Visual reality and Augmented reality games from their airlines as this technology starts to be incorporated into more and more aspects of their everyday life. To make life a little more complicated, we ask would the airlines benefit more from creating their own branded VR and AR games, or from partnering up with a licensed brand? Another thought to consider..
Children's Amenity Kits 
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35
YEARS
Of experience in AWARD-WINNING Concepts, Designs, Developments, Logistics of airline Comfort kits and Service items.
Children's Amenity Kits
THE BRANDING BOOM! Are we going Logo Loco? In the battle between licensed brands and airlines own, Amenities explores which will be victorious when it comes to children’s amenity kits.
I
t is a universal truth that we are currently living in a consumer driven world where brand means everything, from the clothes we buy to even the toothpaste we brush our teeth with for that extra dazzling smile. So it makes perfect sense that licensed brands have been slowly but surely infiltrating the world of children’s onboard amenities. Their familiarity, quality, instant desirability and appeal reassures the airlines, let alone the parents, that their little globe-trotters will be both entertained and pacified throughout the journey.
It begs the question ‘are airline branded kids kits losing favour and becoming a thing of the past? Will we see the rise of Brand Domination?’ You could argue that the answer is a clear yes, especially with the last Children’s Kits to win at the Travel Plus Airline Amenity Awards 2016 bearing recognisable licensed brands, including Disney Princess, Star Wars and Inside Out, all supplied and curated by Buzz Products to Singapore and Saudi Arabian Airlines. Now let’s not beat around the bush here; we all know the Middle East and
Asia are lucky enough to negotiate and gain these licensed contracts thanks to healthy budgets, therefore the reliance on recognisable brands is very much down to geographical location.
“are airline branded kids kits losing favour and becoming a thing of the past? Will we see the rise of Brand Domination?”
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Children's Amenity Kits
“As the littlest brand ambassadors, children who fly today take their trip and begin planting the seed of brand preference.” Charlotte Gade from KIDZinflight
TAP Portugal Flip&Flap mascot kit from Skysupply GmbH
Saudi Arabian Airline activity pack featuring Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out from Buzz Products
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However, it’s not always down to lack of budget that other airlines choose to go for own branded Children’s amenities. There are a multitude of benefits when developing bespoke kids programs; they can be used as a marketing tool, as potential media to drive a positive revenue stream and become part of the customer and brand experience.
When it comes to the creative freedom custom designed kits give airlines, they are able to own and build upon the brand and characters in the future, not only providing longevity but also loyalty. By developing their own mascot they are gifting their younger passengers with a special keepsake that becomes unique in the hands of the child when they return home, and reminds them of that specific flying experience with the airline. Charlotte Gade from KIDZInflight puts it beautifully, ‘As the littlest brand ambassadors, children who fly today take their trip and begin planting the seed of brand preference.’ In contrast, licensed brands limit the freedom of the airline dramatically as contracts are often shorter and there is no room for growth and brand association with the airline. Nonetheless, with a new high-end brand to excite younger travellers it can give airlines the edge of being up to date and in the know of what kids want! Collectability is another positive element of custom designed kid’s kits for airlines. Children love collecting! A number of suppliers we spoke to, including Wolfgang Bucherl, Managing Director of Skysupply, see an area of the future of children’s amenities relying on ‘Collectibles or themes and ideas which evolve over future flights to develop a feeling of loyalty and being welcomed back on board.’ An example of this is Skysupply’s Children’s Amenity Kit for TAP Portugal which feature ‘Flip & Flap’; two keen adventurer characters that
Children's Amenity Kits
are always there to greet the young passengers and join them on their journey. Another keen example of this is Emirates ‘Fly With Me program’ designed and supplied by Buzz Products, with characters being added each year to join the gang. Licensed brands, however, are just as collectible with their familiarity being both welcoming and an opportunity for the child to add to their collection waiting at home. Nevertheless familiarity isn’t always necessarily guaranteed when it comes to licensed brands so this is another risk that the airlines have to factor in, as Petros Sakkis from Wessco International importantly highlights, ‘Depending on the region, different brands enjoy different levels of exposure. An exceptionally popular brand in Asia may not be as well known in other parts of the world, like Europe and the Middle East.’ Now let’s not forget the variety of age groups that the airlines are catering for, which are essential in dictating which of the two is more effective. Younger kids are arguably very drawn to an airlines own mascot, as suggested by Wolfgang Bucheri from Skysupply , as ‘it is something special which reminds them of flying with the airline.’ But, he is quite right in stating that, ‘As kids get older …they enter a more media driven phase and high street brands, new gadgets, characters in the movie world have more credit and sustain their interest.’ Tweens are going through a particular part of their life where they look up to certain public figures in search of their own identity and, with this in mind, licensed brands make sense and add considerable value.
Qatar Airways partnered with Hasbro Gaming a world leader in toys and gaming supplied by Buzz products
So there’s a waging war between licensed or custom designed brands, a conflict of interests between younger and older children, and a frisson between airlines and suppliers when it comes to the B word again; Budget! But what about the parents? The customers who are forking out the cash for these seats and holidays away with their kids? Surely for them
it’s simply about value for money? With this, expectation is high and probably veering more towards licensed brands rather than custom designed ones, especially in Business and First class. Receiving a custom designed kid’s bag is arguably comparative to receiving a brandless bag in First Class when you’re expecting Givenchy.
Airberlin design follows one continuous idea: that the child is part of an exciting travel adventure with the Airberlin Bear from Skysupply GmbH
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Opinion
Natural Hydrating Skin Products Please! Are Airlines providing their Premium passengers with an amenity kit packed with a range of cosmetics that will rehydrate and enhance their onboard experience? On opening and delving in to the majority of First and Business Class bags it is obvious that there is a recurring theme, with the majority of airlines aligning themselves with the world’s most prestigious cosmetic and skincare brands such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Bvlgari, L’Occitane, Amouage, La Prairie, Kiehls and Biologique Recherche. (a real favorite amongst many beauty editors) However, taking a closer look at these lotions and creams, it soon becomes apparent that there is very little to differentiate between them. Common items included Hand and Body lotion, facial moisturizer, eye gel, and lip balm. It was refreshing to see that some airlines had provided the cosmetics in larger sizes, instead of the standard sample size, making them useful long after the journey is over. It is the little details like this that can make airlines stand out in a very competitive market. However while it’s nice to have prestigious well known brands included, it doesn’t always help the traveller with their needs if they cannot use them to help get through their flight and beyond. Needless to say the skincare industry is interested in having the thirsty, dehydrated skin of millions of airline passengers, quenched by their brands. It is also an opportunity for them to advertise their products to their most valued demographic – passengers with high expendable incomes, and a taste for the finer things in life. Most of the cosmetics found in the kits are of a hydrating 26
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nature, showing airlines do understand the problems that long haul air travel can cause on skin. However, we found some of the cosmetics offered within the bags, contain perfumes, parabens, petroleum and mineral oils which can be irritants when applied to compromised skin, and can cause irritation and allergic reactions. Not ideal when you are hoping to arrive at a destination looking and feeling your best! Some airlines are starting to respond to this concern, and are offering their passengers more niche “natural” products and aromatherapy brands which provide energizing lotions, cleansing foams and moisturizing emulsions. Airlines should be embracing new market trends, and seeking naturally inspired and effective products specifically designed to hydrate, hydrate and hydrate a little more! Rather than purely focus on prestigious brands.” So it appears that in the pursuit to fight the main signs of travel fatigue, including dryness, dehydration, redness, dullness and irritation, most of the Airlines are already trying to provide the right types of hydrating products for their passengers, whilst still managing to align themselves with high end luxury cosmetic brands. Although some of the products on offer may not suit every skin type, it does appear airlines are constantly in pursuit of that perfect product combination that takes a step closer in fulfilling their passenger’s needs.
In the Spotlight
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
ALEXANDER FERENTS
Amenities put Alexander Ferents, Managing Director of AK-Service in the spotlight. Do your key client’s requirements differ from those in other global regions?
Are global brands important with Airlines within your region?
There is only a difference in budget! It is our belief that some Western companies spend a lot more money in design and production of kits. However, we are able to ensure our products are of the same high standard, whilst keeping the investment lower for our clients.
Of course! Though not only worldfamous brands, but also popular local companies. Those brands which are the most recognised in the customer’s country are much more valuable on the market.
Do EU and US sanctions affect you when pitching in other regions? No! The whole Russian and CIS onboard production market were not affected by the sanctions. In fact, on the contrary, it has made it harder for foreign companies to break into the market in this region. 28
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What are your views on children’s kits being integrated with inflight entertainment systems or apps? If there is a way to combine a baby kit with the animation onscreen (trucks, animals etc), then I believe that is a perfect way to help young passengers stay interested during their time onboard.
The line between digital entertainment and classic children’s toys is becoming finer everyday. We are always looking for ways to incorporate the two of them. For instance, Aeroflot organised a competition to get people to design a fox-like hat that would be included in the kits AK-Service provided. They then had to upload their designs and creations to Instagram, and a winner was picked. It was an excellent tool to attract people and promote the brand via their accounts. As a result, it was an astonishing success for the airline and a source of boundless joy for the little passengers. What is the biggest challenge when developing children’s kits? First of all, it is very hard to try walking in a child’s shoes. We may remember
In the Spotlight
some moments of our childhood; however, it is impossible to remember the exact feelings, emotions and outlooks we had as a child. We can only try and guess. Secondly, the children of today are changing constantly because of the fast-paced environment they live in. Even when we feel we have succeeded in supplying something that meets their needs and preferences, we cannot relax as those preferences will undoubtedly drastically change next month! How important is the educational factor in Kid’s Kits? The Educational Factor is extremely important! Travelling, by its very nature appeals to children with foreign languages, new cultures and geographical areas of the world. The feeling of going on a journey inspires children to broaden their horizons, and it is our goal, within our amenity kits, to appease their hunger for knowledge. How do airlines appease this ‘hunger’ across the wide range of age groups? Well, I would like to say that across the age groups it is more or less the same. A classical, comprehensive and adequate approach. The market for onboard products are strongly developed for the child and adult categories.
However, there is one important exception: Teenagers. No one has yet come up with a way to entertain teenage passengers. I see both an opportunity and challenge in trying to tackle this question. With the teenage group being one obstacle what are the others you are faced with? Does Health & Safety feature heavily when developing goody bags for young passengers? Sure it is always an obstacle. You need to ensure a child’s safety, but you also need to take the comfort and safety of his or her parents, and other passengers into consideration. On top of this, we need to remember that the property of the
airline you are working with is also a priority. Creating an entertaining kit whilst trying to get all those interests balanced is always a challenge. So, have you found any solutions to the ‘awkward age’ dilemma? We continue to rely on focus groups and our own expertise, experience and intuition. Focus groups, however, require substantial resources, and this can be tricky due to budgeting restraints. Currently the AK-Service is actively developing a line to capture this line. AK-Service have been providing Onboard Amenities to Russian and CIS-Country Airlines for over 20 years, designing and producing quality products that they put onboard Russia’s leading airlines. This has put AK-Service on the map, as they develop kits for more and more Airlines across Russia, CIS countries and spreading into the rest of Europe.
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SURVEY RESULTS
KITS FOR CHILDREN: THE AIRLINES’ PERSPECTIVES This survey reflects the contribution from influencers and decision makers from the world’s top 200 airlines, to help understand the expectations and challenges they face when deciding on onboard children’s goody bags, toys or games.
Age Groups
InfantS
Airlines provide onboard gifts to children in the following age ranges.
56% 89% 67%
2-6 YrS 7-12 YrS
licensed Use b ra n
as wn m cot / ch o ar ir he
ter c a
45% 33%
Branding & Loyalty 88% recognise the importance of developing brand loyalty with their younger travellers.
ds
Deve l o pt
The Education Factor 3 in 4 (75%) believe in the importance of including an educational element in the gift.
CABIN CLASS 1 in 5 airlines provide different gifts depending on cabin class.
1st BUSINESS
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27% 36%
45%
6 months
Airline Renewal Policy
InfantS 45% of airlines state they replace or refresh their infant gift every 6 months.
76% 2-6 YrS 7-12 YrS
12 months
SURVEY RESULTS
76% replace or upgrade 2-6 and 7-12 age group gifts every year.
THE TECH FACTOR 65% are exploring incorporating Virtual or Augmented Reality elements into children’s onboard gifts in the near future.
36% 65% TOP 5 must include items
Reading Book
Sticker Book
Colouring Book & Pencils
Future Investment 36% of airlines stated that investment into children’s onboard gifts would increase over the next 2 years.
LEAST IMPORTANT ITEMS FOR INCLUSION
Board Game
Jigsaw Puzzle
Airlines stated that eyeshades, flight socks and dental kits were the least important items for inclusion. AMENITIES MAGAZINE
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