LUXURY TAKEN TO NEW HEIGHTS

TitleLUXURY TAKEN TO NEW HEIGHTS
BrandAIRFRANCE
Product / ServiceAIRLINE
CategoryD02. Costs/Creative Performance PR Campaign
EntrantHAVAS WORLDWIDE SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE
Entrant Company HAVAS WORLDWIDE SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE
PR Agency HAVAS WORLDWIDE SIREN Singapore, SINGAPORE
Production Company ODDO Singapore, SINGAPORE

Credits

Name Company Position
Dan Gibson Havas Worldwide Singapore Group Managing Director
Andrew Hook Havas Worldwide Singapore Group Executive Creative Director
Kelvin Lim Havas Worldwide Singapore Associate Creative Director
Shervin Seah Havas Worldwide Singapore Senior Copywriter
Farizal Akramhan Havas Worldwide Singapore Art Director
Antoine de La Seigliere Havas Worldwide Singapore Account Director
Sarah Diedro Havas Worldwide Singapore Account Executive
Dee Dee Law Havas Worldwide Singapore Project Manager
Jacob Joseph Puthenparambil Havas Worldwide Siren Communication Strategy Director - SE Asia
Estar Suma-oy Havas Worldwide Siren Account Manager
Dinda Citrini Havas Worldwide Siren Account Manager
Apriani Kartika Havas Worldwide Siren Senior Executive
Lewis Chu ODDO Director Of Photography
John Yak ODDO Video Editor

The Campaign

How do you launch a brand new First Class airline cabin across a region with a budget of just US$30,000 and without a single plane fitted with this new cabin? This was the agency's challenge for AirFrance's new La Premiere suite. We clearly weren't in a position to fly hundreds of opinion-leaders on a plane that had yet to be equipped with the new cabin and services. Nor did we have the budget for advertising. From this 'beautiful constraint' our idea was borne. We extracted the entire La Premiere cabin experience, and took it to the air in a different way, designed to resonate with Singaporeans. We put it in the Singapore Flyer, the largest observatory wheel in South-East Asia. This gave us the perfect platform for media engagement. The event was attended by key regional media including Bloomberg, Channel NewsAsia, AsiaOne and Indonesia's NET TV which talked about the product and the luxury air travel segment, successfully capturing AirFrance's key messages and unique selling points. The two-day launch was lauded by media and VIP guests as a unique way of introducing a luxury air travel service, and resulted in nearly US$500,000 of PR coverage. In approving the idea, the client set a target of at least $3 of coverage for every dollar spent. In the end, we were able to rake in $9.50 coverage for every dollar spent, delivering results that are more than triple the client's target.

The Brief

We had to use the launch of the new La Premiere suite to change people's prejudices towards AirFrance. The agency was tasked with influencing Singaporeans to switch to AirFrance when flying First Class or Business Class to Europe. To achieve that, there was a need to change the public perception towards AirFrance and to associate the brand with: a) In-flight innovation b) In-air luxury c) Superior service We had to deliver this perception shift with a budget of just US$30,000. The client approved the idea but set a further target of at least $3 of coverage for every dollar spent.

Results

As the La Premiere suite had not been introduced at the time the campaign ran, we were not able to track its immediate effect on purchase, and we are aware that, due to the nature of the product, a longer period of time is required to assess its commercial value. Having said that, we knew from the beginning that the right coverage from the right media greatly influences our expectations of airlines. Media talked positively about the whole experience through their articles, social media posts and even on broadcast. The event garnered a total of S$682,214 in PR value (PR value is calculated based on the industry standard of a credibility multiplier of 3 times the amount of ad value an article, post or clip would occupy). The agency delivered a coverage of S$9.50 for every dollar spent, securing an ROI of 9.5:1, exceeding campaign objective by over three times.

Execution

The agency launched the La Premiere suite by organising a unique experiential event to extend the airline's first-class experience directly to select key media and VIP guests. The iconic Singapore Flyer was the chosen venue and the luxurious experience of the La Premiere suite was re-created in a capsule of the Flyer. The entire La Premiere suite was fitted into a Singapore Flyer capsule, complete with all its fine features such as a fully flat bed over 2 metres long, a Sofitel My Bed® duvet and a fully-functional entertainment system. To pamper our guests before the flight, we had a limousine pick them up and chauffeur them to the Singapore Flyer. Upon arrival, they were ushered to the La Premiere capsule to indulge in unsurpassed luxury and comfort while soaring 165 metres above the Singapore skyline.

The overall budget for the project was about US$30,000 and it was mostly allocated to the transport, logistics and service costs incurred during the 2 days event. There was no investment in media support nor any marketing initiatives. All media has been PR gained value.

The Situation

Singapore is home to Singapore Airlines, often considered to be the best airline in the world (eg. at the 2014 World Airlines Awards). This makes it harder for foreign airlines fighting for a bigger local market share. As an European airline, AirFrance was also struggling to compete on both price and quality against the younger Asian competitors (Emirates, Etihad, Qatar). AirFrance was being used mostly by French expatriates, and frequently only when the supposedly more luxurious business and first class offerings by Emirates and Singapore Airlines were not available as options.

The Strategy

We knew that the perception of airlines is greatly influenced by the media (from magazines to bloggers), and we needed them to tell our story for us. AirFrance has changed its in-air offering to make it worthy of its French heritage, and be true to its slogan 'France is in the Air': everything - from the food to the seats to the headsets - has been improved in an effort to evoke French luxury, and flyers in Singapore would be the first ones to try it.