Monday, July 30, 2012

Don't Fly British Airways



While navigating London on the tube this past Friday, I spotted a British Airways advertisement that stated "Don't Fly. The anthem won't sing itself. British Airways Support GB". I was confused as to why an airline company would be telling people not to fly.  After doing a little more digging, I found that British Airways launched an entire campaign based around the statement "Don't Fly" in order to show their support for Great Britain in the Olympics.  The video above is of an advertisement produced by British Airways that aired in June.

I like the idea of the campaign.  It portrays British Airways as a patriotic company that puts country and nationalism before business and profit. Do you think this campaign is effective? What do you think this type of advertising does for the image of British Airways?

4 comments:

  1. I saw this same advertisement in the tube! So fascinating, yes? Even if people choose to fly during the Olympics, they'll likely make the patriotic choice to fly British because they'll want to show support somehow. Perhaps this is an opportunity more than others to ingrain brand loyalty with Brits because they'll associate flying or not flying with the Olympics> then patriotism> and then perhaps make the "nostalgic" flight choice later on well after the Olympics. Very smart move. -Joanna

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  2. Rachael this is a very interesting ad! Although I did not come across it while I was in London this passed weekend, I wish I had. I believe my initial reaction would also be, "Why would a company advertise against themselves?" After thinking about it, this advertisement is brilliant. Not only does it get the company name out there, but it also supports the British in the Olympics. This is a patriotic move and smart branding. Whoever came up with this idea was really thinking creatively.

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  3. I agree with you, Rachel, I really like their strategy in this campaign. It reminds me of Paula Green's ad campaign for Avis, "We Try Harder". At the time, Avis was ranked number two for car rental companies and they used it to their advantage. They spun it around saying that because they were number two, they were going to try that much harder. The British Airways campaign reminds me of it, because it takes something that they wouldn't normally like to admit or tell their customers, and use it in their favor. By showing their support for Great Britain and telling people not to fly, it touches the hearts of GB fans, making them admire the company even more. Avis did a similar thing when they admitted that they were second, but promised to try even harder. Both companies take a plain fact that could potentially hurt their businesses, but instead, spin it in their favor. It's a great strategy and skill to have in the advertising world!

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  4. I love this campaign! It is just nice to see companies show they care about more than just making money. Also, I feel like it will still be very affective as people will remember the campaign the next time they do decide to fly. It is like good karma, or good will (I think that is the economic term).

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