Qantas has unveiled a major new brand positioning, accompanied by an extensive campaign called ‘You’re The Reason We Fly’ which could see consumers have their name printed on a plane.
The campaign was developed in partnership with Publicis Mojo and Amnesia Razorfish.
Qantas executive manager of marketing Lewis Pullen said the focus of the campaign was about “shifting from place to people”. The ‘Spirit of Australia’ words on the side of Qantas planes will be changed to ‘Spirit of Australians’.
Pullen told AdNews the new positioning will initially only form part of the five-month marketing campaign, but said it could form part of Qantas' wider brand positioning depending on its success.
He would not be drawn on the exact spend of the campaign, but said "it is a major investment".
While the ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ positioning will still form a strong part of the brand, the new positioning aims to concentrate on people rather than Australia as a place. Pullen said the existing brand positioning is seen as a "quasi national anthem" and will remain a part of the brand's "core assets".
The campaign will involve a major crowd sourcing element, where consumers will be able to have their names printed on the side of Qantas planes, with the opportunity to have their images placed in a Qantas TV commercial.
Pullen admitted having such a large social element can be a risk, but said the company had performed extensive risk assessment. "There are systems in place to make sure this is not abused.
"Social is something that can keep CMOs up at night. But we have done lots of test and learn in this space."
One of the journalists in the press conference joked about Richard Branson getting his name printed on a Qantas plane, to which Pullen replied "That would be great".
The campaign has been launched with an online video, with a print run to start on the weekend. Other elements will involve extensive print, digital, outdoor, radio and television executions.
The campaign will be heavily integrated in the upcoming London Olympics.
The ‘I Still Call Australia Home’ positioning has been a core part of the brand for 13 years.
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