As the leisure brand for Pacific Coastal Airlines unfolds, they asked us to create a short, integrated print, web and social media campaign to promote the end-of-summer seat sale. It featured 4 seats for the price of 3 on the same flight, same day. The challenge was to draw out the benefits of this deal and present them conversationally in a video meant for sharing on social channels. A print ad and web banner campaign would run simultaneously to present more touch points for the video campaign.
When considering the deal of “book 3, get a 4th for free,” our first question was, who cares? It was a feature with no clear value beyond the monetary and without motivation to buy. People can’t afford to save so much money.
Pacific Coastal Airlines stories over sales
We conceptualized a qualitative market research approach to the social video to get at the heart of buyer motivation. We would do “man on the street” style interviews, guiding interviewees through a series of questions on dream getaways in northern, coastal BC and their experiences with traveling in groups of four.
A strong visual element was necessary to thread the print and web advertisements together with the video. That’s why we anchored the concept around the unmistakable design of an airplane seat. We conducted video interviews in a plane seat, placed in beautiful, natural settings. This evoked the immediate accessibility of British Columbia’s wilderness. Then for print and web we photographed the chair in alleys and fields. A cardboard FREE sign on it communicated the offer at a glance.
The light, conversational and funny video, complete with adorable dogs, was cut first as a branded social engagement tool with a call to action at the end. This tactic brings consumers on board as a logical conclusion when they find themselves engaged by the video. Engaged consumers find it easy to share. It promotes ideas around local leisure travel rather than a sales pitch.
At the end of the sale, it is a simple matter of cutting the call to action and Pacific Coastal Airlines has a slick, branded piece to add to their video engagement library. They can be promote this again and again as social content for years to come.