Fly Away, the Qantas commercial announcing extra rewards for flyers fully vaccinated against COVID-19, has successfully mined the feelings and the desires of everyone who can't travel because of the pandemic.
The campaign was created by Brand+Story, a partnership between Paul Chappell (co-writer and creative director) and Josh Whiteman (co-writer and director).
Chappell: “What we did was essentially find a way to say what everyone was feeling in 90 seconds.”
Whiteman says the campaign acknowledges the pervasive feeling about missing loved ones and the pent-up desire to travel, explore and connect.
"Our story connected at a very personal level, helping to unlock and amplify these emotions," he told AdNews.
“The amazing track 'Fly Away' from Tones And I was also a perfect fit for the fragility and quiet hope that we were trying to achieve with this campaign.
"The track carries a lot of the emotion and sentiment of this message and we were delighted that Tones And I and Sony were so willing to be involved.”
Sam Walters, general manager, consulting at Cubery, an advertising and product development research specialist, says much has been said about the campaign tapping into universal human truths around the longing to see loved ones.
"But this is a campaign that delivers on so many more levels, holding true to many of the paths that can lead to great advertising," he says.
"It captivates - telling great stories of fun, diverse characters, hooking the viewer in through their relatable tales – all backed up with a familiar, but updated, soundtrack to help amplify the emotional impact.
"It also effortlessly connects back to Qantas, not only showcasing the brand’s distinctive assets but embedding it as the hero of each story – it’s an enviable strategy to be able to position your brand as making dreams a reality.
"And few could argue it doesn’t deliver warmth and meaning for the brand as well as a point of differentiation against both local and global competitors – building predisposition that should last well beyond that first time we all fly again."
Specialist brand and communications insights agency Luma Research ranked the commercial in the top third of all ads tested globally.
Sally Joubert, CEO, Luma Research, says the people in the ad are real and relatable.
"It gives the audience hope and people believe we can get back to this and they believe in it," she says.
"The rewards say Qantas is serious about this and so also provides strong rational reasons to feel more positive."
The incentives ad another dimension. Frequent flyers upload their digital vaccination certificate, get a disocunt or Qantas points and entry into a mega prize draw.
QUT College educator - communications, Michael Klaehn, loves the line at the end "We’ll be there soon!"
"This is a smart move by Qantas because they recognise that they need to be ready to go when we are allowed to travel internationally again," he says.
"Adding incentives to get people to act is a tried-and-true approach as well as the major prizes to help those that do hope to fly be ready as well. The gift with purchase approach they have used with the option of what instant reward they get is smart too.”
Brand+Story has worked with Qantas over the past five years, delivering the last four Inflight safety videos and other work across the brand’s business units.
And the partnership has shone through in Fly Away, says Tom van Laer, associate professor of narratology, the University of Sydney.
“Through transportation into other worlds, both narrative and actual, Brand+Story agency and Qantas get people looking forward to what a vaccinated society looks like," he says.
"If you want a vaccination campaign that motivates people by telling an emotional story that clarifies what's in it for them, this is how you do it.”
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce described the campaign as a "thank you to Australians" for getting vaccinated.
The public health message by the private sector highlights the role of brands in achieving Australia's vaccination targets, says Amanda Spry, lecturer of marketing, RMIT.
“Where people see the government has failed to solve a problem, they look to other institutions like brands to deliver effective and innovative solutions," she told AdNews.
"It's no surprise to see Qantas getting involved, especially given they have been hit hard by the pandemic and have much to gain from a vaccinated Australian population.
"We know brands can have a strong influence in driving political activism and social change and achieving vaccination targets may be no different."
Adding to the ad’s appeal is the authenticity of using Qantas employees.
Whiteman at Brand+Story: “We always use Qantas employees when representing staff and ALWAYS in the role we’re depicting.
"We do this not only for authenticity but to acknowledge the Qantas workforce as its most valuable asset. These are wonderful people who are passionate about their jobs and the brand - and working with them is a constant pleasure."
Brand+Story worked in partnership with the in-house Qantas content team.
White Chocolate was the post production company for the TVC spots and the Qantas content team reformatted content for social and owned channels. Sony Music and Kobalt licensed the music track, Bruce Heald and Kathleen Burrows at Noise International did the music arrangement and audio.
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