Widerøe launches Norwegian Meeting Services
If you’ve ever had to go to a meeting you didn’t want to go to — and for me, that’s most of them — the Norwegian regional carrier Widerøe has your back. This campaign from McCann Oslo has been live for a few months, but only recently has it been translated into awards-show-friendly English. It purports to be a campaign for Norwegian Meeting Services, a company that will send surrogates to meetings you don’t want to attend, anywhere Widerøe flies. In addition to a Web site where you can book an agent to go in your place, there’s also a fun series of webisodes.
ANA unveils Star Wars partnership
The other Star Wars news today — beyond the release of the new teaser for The Force Awakens — is a five-year partnership with All Nippon Airways. The most immediately visible manifestation of this partnership is a special R2D2 livery that will grace an ANA 787-9 later this year. There’s a microsite too, but for the moment it’s pretty short on detail.
S7 Airlines has a dreamliner of its own
Just in time for advertising awards season, there’s this piece from Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam for S7 Airlines. The installation used neurofeedback to let Muscovites pilot a virtual airplane using only their imaginations. If they could maintain their focus, they could win a ticket to their destination of choice. The video above is mostly in Russian but the explanation of the technology is in English. This is a nice followup to last month’s Imagine video, in which kids described their fantastic dream destinations.
Updated, 16 April 2015: Russian video replaced with English version.
“France is in the air” now on the air
Differentiating an airline brand is always a challenge, but flag carriers have an easy shortcut: wrapping themselves in their flags. Case in point: this campaign about the Gallic charms of Air France. “France is in the air” launched a year ago with images depicting a (French-built) A380 flying over the (French-built) Palais de Versailles and, somewhat controversially, fashion models dressed in stereotypical costumes from Air France destinations. But this global spot, launched last week, is the first television work for the campaign. (Agency: BETC Paris)
Delta’s new ad missing Bill Murray
I never really appreciated the movie “Lost in Translation” until I spent two weeks on an ill-fated business trip to Dubai. Watching it again afterward, that feeling of dislocated isolation really hit home. Delta captures that same feeling in its new television spot, created by Wieden + Kennedy and masterfully directed by Martin de Thurah. The result is comparatively light on product and heavy on empathy.
Icelandair reveals livery inspired by the northern lights
The northern lights may be, as some claim, a myth but they are sure are a beautiful myth. And if you want to see them, one of the airlines to fly is Icelandair. This week, the Icelandic carrier revealed a new, aurora-inspired livery on one of its 757s. The livery itself is lovely, but I’m particularly impressed by how the airline brought the northern lights into the aircraft cabin with programmable LEDs. As for the northern lights being a myth: I’ve seen them, once, from a British Airways 747, and while they seem paler than they look in the brochures, the wonder of seeing them in person more than makes up for it.
Etihad reveals new cabin crew uniforms
Wondering if she overpacked, a flight attendant waits in the desert to be picked up by the crew van. (Photo: Norman Jean Roy/Etihad)To celebrate the arrival of its new A380 and 787 airplanes, Etihad is introducing a new uniform for its cabin crew, including its new in-flight butlers. The chocolate-brown and deep-purple uniforms were created by Italian designer Ettore Bilotta and are featured in a series of images by fashion photographer Norman Jean Roy.
easyJet’s new livery is practically restrained
Images emerged over the weekend of an easyJet A320 in what looks like a new livery. Gone are the billboard titles and URL (or telephone number) that have been easyJet’s trademark since the beginning. It’s still not clear if this new look is official or if it’s just a short-term paint job on a leased airplane. There has been no official announcement from the airline.
#easyJet new paint scheme at #Malpensa @aptlombardi @ATWOnline @AviationAirRout @easyJet @infoMalpensa @RunwayGirl pic.twitter.com/6HUozhAE1C
— MXPhotos (@MXPhotos_it) December 15, 2014
Alaska rules out rebrand
For months now, the industry has been expecting a major rebrand from Alaska Airlines. Well, it’s not happening. The company has decided instead to focus on the loyalty of its current customers, according to Runway Girl Network. With the exception of a minor redrawing of the logo, the carrier’s look and livery will stay largely the same, although CEO Brad Tilden is promising “a continued advertising push.”
ANA releases app to take the stress out of flying
All Nippon Airways has released a new app called “Takeoff Mode,” developed by Firstborn, to take the anxiety out of takeoff for nervous flyers (like me.) The app distracts passengers with a simple puzzle game during taxi and takeoff roll. Then, once the airplane is airborne, it automatically lets the passenger know it’s safe to release their death grip on the armrest. Fun idea. Here’s footage of it in action.