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Despite flying through some severe turbulence, Air Canada has just launched a national advertising campaign.
The airline’s Montreal agency, Marketel, created two 30-second TV spots directed by François Girard (The Red Violin, Silk). The ads premiered yesterday and will run through May.
Both spots feature scenes of people in different settings magically tracing colourful lines in the air with finger paint. In one spot, the lines eventually form an airplane on a seat-back videoscreen, while in the other a line morphs into a luxurious first-class cabin which includes seats that recline into beds.
“The idea behind the campaign is to showcase the unique services Air Canada offers, such as video-on-demand and reclining beds, available at the traveler’s fingertips,” said Nathan O’Brien, creative director for Marketel. Both ads end with the tag line “More at your fingertips.”
This high profile campaign comes at a difficult time for Air Canada. On Tuesday, the airline announced the departure of CEO Montie Brewer, replaced by Calin Rovinescu, who headed up the company when it went into bankruptcy protection in 2003.
Some analysts believe the airline, which lost more than $1 billion last year, may again resort to bankruptcy protection.
According to Marketel, the decision to begin airing the campaign this week was never in doubt.
“There is no difference for consumers,” said Stephen Davis, vice-president, consulting service. “It is never a bad time to remind consumers of the brand.”
In fact, production on the campaign started at the end of 2008. “Production was lengthy due to the special effects,” he said.
“The campaign features key products that differentiate the airline in the Canadian market,” said Denis Vandal, director of communications and marketing for Air Canada, in a release.
Filming took place in Hong Kong and Paris—reinforcing Air Canada’s global reach—with Cinélande producing. Fly Studios was responsible for the special effects, while Marketel also handled the buy.
This is not the first time Marketel has helped Air Canada through a turbulent period. When it emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004, Marketel played a big part in restoring the company’s image.
Jacques Duval, president of the agency, convinced Céline Dion to take part in the campaign to relaunch the Canadian symbol. She recorded “You and I” as the theme for a six-week ad campaign.
The song, released on Dion’s album A New Day… Live in Las Vegas, also became a radio hit.
