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Welcome to the tenth and final part of our look at some of the most influential and noteworthy BA advertising of the past 50 years.
In our final part, we’re well into the era of social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
These platforms are a double-edged sword for airlines. They enable airlines to reach a mass audience without buying expensive advertising space, but they have to be shared with the public at large. Airlines are at the mercy of instantaneous and reactive judgements by audiences.
“Today, Tomorrow”
This advert from 2013 was an extension of BA’s brand relaunch “To Fly. To Serve.” but with a much more contemporary feel.
The advert debuted ahead of the launch of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A380 at London Heathrow. It features a passenger travelling through Terminal 5 to board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The advert uses a “micro to macro” style of filming, featuring close up shots of the details of flying, panning to wide shots of the aircraft in motion.
The film is directed by Martin Krejci, with cinematography from Anthony Dod Mantle and features the soundtrack “Experience” (Starkey Remix), by Ludovico Einaudi.
“The Magic Of Flying”
“Look Up” was a campaign developed by the interactive agency OgilvyOne in 2013.
Interactive billboards in Chiswick and Piccadilly Circus would respond as a BA aircraft flew over it. OgilvyOne had installed antennae on nearby buildings which could identify overflying aircraft. Using custom-made software it would identify which of those aircraft were operated by BA.
A child would then point to the aircraft in the sky and the billboard would display its actual flight number and origin, highlighting the breadth of destinations served by BA.
As well as generating a significant number of visits to the BA website and impressions on social media, the campaign won multiple industry awards.
“Red Bus”
The marketing of airlines to overseas visitors can often descend into cliched stereotypes.
Here’s a short film that looks at the start like it’s about to do that, but doesn’t.
Rooftop Cinema Club
Not strictly an advert, but a highly effective trailer shown before screenings at the Rooftop Cinema Club.