Last year, airlines had a spectacular showing at the Cannes Lions, with a Grand Prix, six Golds, eight Silvers, and eight Bronzes. Inevitably, this year’s performance (eight Silver, 15 Bronze) was not quite so lofty. But there were some strong contenders, along with the usual mix of shocking omissions and perplexing victors that really make you wonder what the hell the judges were thinking.
“Champagne, sir?” asks the flight attendant.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly,” I answer graciously as I recline in my first-class seat, nonstop from New York to Nice. My seat companion, a famous movie star, wants to hear my story about that shoot I went on that one time, but I’ve already delighted her with it seven times and now I grow weary. I settle in for a few hours of blissful slumber.
Yes, fine, you’re right, this flight is only happening in my imagination. For the fourth year in a row, Branded Skies reports on Cannes from nearly 4,000 miles away.
But what a year it has been for airline brands. For the first time since 2009, work for an airline won a Grand Prix. Of course, it won in the least likely category. But that’s Cannes, where a billboard with no response mechanism at all can be crowned the best direct response work of the year.
It doesn’t have to make sense.
Flyby Wire: November 24th, 2013
Welcome to Flyby Wire, a weekly look at new advertising, identity, and brand experience work from around the airline industry. This week: look up! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s British Airways! Read more
Flyby Wire: September 22nd, 2013
Welcome to the 16th issue of The Work This Week, a weekly roundup of new advertising, identity, and brand experience work from around the airline industry. This week, the friendly skies are back.
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Flyby Wire: September 9th, 2013
Welcome to the fourteenth issue of The Work This Week, a weekly roundup of new advertising, identity, and brand experience work from around the airline industry. This week, almost every airline ever launches a fall advertising campaign.
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Flyby Wire: August 25th, 2013
Welcome to the thirteenth issue of The Work This Week, a weekly roundup of new advertising, identity, and brand experience work from around the airline industry. This week, we’re back from hiatus with a new appearance by the Singapore Girl, big global account reviews by big global airlines, and a new airline identity that’s a little bit vanilla.
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Flyby Wire: August 4th, 2013
Editor’s Note: The Work This Week will go on a brief hiatus as I travel for work. It will return on Sunday, August 25th.
Welcome to the twelfth issue of The Work This Week, a weekly roundup of new advertising, identity, and brand experience work from around the airline industry. This week, Jat Airways flies into the history books, Virgin Australia knocks over the Eiffel Tower, and a son visits his mum in Mumbai.
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Flyby Wire: July 28th, 2013
Welcome to the eleventh issue of The Work This Week, a weekly roundup of new advertising, identity, and brand experience work from around the airline industry. This week, airline social feeds light up with news of the royal birth, Lufthansa dupes customers into eating airline food, and the airline Web site of tomorrow is here… today!
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Flyby Wire: June 30th, 2013
Welcome to the seventh issue of The Work This Week, a weekly roundup of new advertising, identity, and brand experience work from around the airline industry. This week, American Airlines gets animated, KLM makes a game out of the airline business, and the airline formerly known as Fiji Airways is now currently known as Fiji Airways.
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Flyby Wire: June 16th, 2013
Welcome to the fifth issue of The Work This Week, a weekly roundup of new advertising, identity, and brand experience work from around the airline industry. This week, new campaigns from South Africa and Australia, a new look for Air New Zealand, and a new reason to cross the Thames.
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