Tuesday, September 20, 2011

British Airways to launch biggest ad campaign in 11 years. Airline's £20m marketing push will feature 13 members of staff months after resolving cabin crew dispute.

British Airways is to launch its biggest ad campaign in 11 years with a £20m push using staff to promote the virtues of the airline – months after finally resolving an acrimonious dispute with cabin crew.

The TV element of the ad campaign, which will debut on the British Airways Facebook page on Wednesday, will be aired in the UK and US before being rolled out to other key international markets.

The supporting press and outdoor campaign will include seven different ads highlighting the experience and skill of British Airways staff.

One print ad features a baby in a BA jacket, to highlight the fact that staff are trained to deliver babies if necessary, while another features a human heart to show that the airline carries precious cargo such as donor organs.

The campaign, which comes months after BA finally ended an 18-month dispute with cabin crew which saw 22 days of strikes costing £150m, features 13 members of staff to showcase BA's "dedication to flying".
The campaign uses the airline's motto "To Fly. To Serve" – found on the BA coat of arms, on the hats of pilots and in the lining of crew uniforms – to focus on the customer service the company provides.

Keith Williams, the chief executive of British Airways, said the ad campaign marks the "opening of a new chapter" for the airline after a tough decade for its industry marred by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a global recession and political instability.
"Now is the moment we can look forward with real confidence," he said.

The international ad campaign, which is thought to be backed by a spend of about £20m, is the biggest BA has undertaken since the star-studded "21st century air travel" push in 2000.

That campaign, which cost more than £1m to make, featured hundreds of famous passengers from BA's history with actors playing celebrities including Alfred Hitchcock, John Lennon, modern stars including Michael Owen and Jerry Hall and an electronically created image of Margaret Thatcher.

It is the first time that BA has launched a major TV ad campaign in two years.

"People don't just buy what you are, they buy who you are," said Abigail Comber, head of brand engagement at BA. "We believe [the campaign] will resonate with viewers, customers and our staff and will reignite real pride in the British Airways brand."

International Airlines Group, the super-airline formed by the merger of BA and Spain's Iberia, posted a pre-tax profit of €39m (£34m) for the six months to 30 June, compared with a loss of €419m for the same period last year, when both airlines were affected by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano and BA by cabin crew strikes.

Earlier this month customers protested at plans to relaunch the Airmiles scheme as Avios, a new points scheme that spells the end to free flights and charges taxes and fees.

Airmiles relaunches as Avios on 16 November, and will merge with the separate loyalty programmes run by British Airways Executive Club (BA Miles) and Iberia (Iberia Plus).

Airmiles was launched by British Airways. Although it was spun off when BA launched its own rewards scheme, Executive Club, it is still owned by International Airlines Group, formed from the merger of BA and Iberia.


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