Sid Lee has become the first agency-of-record for Bombardier Business Aircraft, home of the Quebec-based transportation company’s Challenger, Learjet and Global brands.
Sid Lee brings “a new dimension to the table in a very traditional business,” said Marie-Eve Lafrenière, manager of brand and product marketing at Bombardier Business Aircraft. “The blend of such a creative agency as Sid Lee with the more traditional approach of Bombardier, I think it’s going to create very interesting campaigns and messaging.”
Bombardier decided to unify its business aircraft division’s marketing behind a single agency nearly two years ago in November 2011, to improve marketing efficiency and consistency across its brands. The review was backburnered in May 2012, then restarted again late last fall.
Of the agency pitches under review, Sid Lee’s stood out for its long-term focus and multi-touchpoint recommendations. “The most important thing for us is to create a unique consumer experience, from the first communication touchpoint to the day they get their aircraft delivered,” Lafrenière said. “Sid Lee will accompany us and our clientele throughout this whole cycle.”
“I think they appreciated the fact that we saw it more as a communications platform, rather than specific ads or campaigns,” said François Lacoursiere, executive vice-president at Sid Lee.
For Sid Lee, the account is an opportunity to work with a leader in an exclusive, worldwide category. Although Bombardier is based in Canada, it’s competing against only a few international players for corporate and government customers in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The agency will have to develop a brand strategy that appeals to all markets.
It’s still too early to say what that strategy will look like, said Lacoursiere. With the partnership just announced, Sid Lee is first getting to know Bombardier’s business brands and products, from the sleek 8-man Learjet 85 to the 33m-long Global 8000, which will be the world’s longest-range business aircraft when it launches in 2017. The new strategy will need to harmonize with Bombardier’s global brand identity for its consumer products, which is currently spearheaded by Taxi Montreal, though Lacoursiere said that the two agencies won’t be working together directly.
