American Airlines / Experiential / Above•Beyond
How do we change negative perceptions of business class travellers so they consider choosing American Airlines for trans-Atlantic travel?
By challenging everything they thought they knew.
With highly sharable experiences that play with perception, we take potential customers above their expectations and beyond the limits of their preconceptions – calling them to re-evaluate ‘known truths’ and think again.
From the invitation they receive, and across every touchpoint that follows, we take guests on an unexpected, multi-sensory journey that brings AA’s business class offering to life – and leaves people thinking ‘Wow’.
With a laser cut moire effect, the premium invitation acts as a teaser to the event – changing from ‘Above’ to ‘Beyond’ as it is pulled from its sleeve.
One Marylebone provides us with an interesting space. Bringing its dramatic arches and hidden spaces to life through light, sound and movement, we play with the perception to showcase product benefits – such as the sense of space and privacy on-board.
On arrival guests are welcomed personally at to the premium flagship ‘check-in’ – highlighting the high quality of service upheld by AA and their crew.
Throughout One Marylebone we create unique ‘surprise and delight’ moments that stop, engage and resonate with our audience so that they share them with their peers. Such as The Cloud Bar – a stunning purpose built bar that uses dry ice to evoke the sense of moving through clouds.
Other installations such as screens that burst to life with Vine footage of take-offs and landings, and a live projection of the AA flight network, showcase core brand messaging in a fun engaging way.
To highlight the vast variety of inflight movies available we’ve created a kaleidoscope installation that plays film and TV footage. As guests rotate the kaleidoscope, the content alters using mirrors inside, multiplying over and over and playing with perception.
The Crypt level at One Marylebone hosts our main installation. Using lighting, haze, fogging and soundscapes, we create an immersive brand experience that celebrates the wonder and sensation of flying – while heroing the business class Lie Flat Seat feature.
Huge ‘seat’ mirrors start in the upright position, then as the ‘seats’ move between the pre-set positions, bursts of red and blue light reflect around the space bringing the crypt to life and creating highly sharable moments.
To drive home the key message that there are lie flat seats in business class on flights between London and New York and LA, we hero the seat within its own installation. To dial up the inflight entertainment, plus NY and LA destinations, speakers hang above the seat playing clips of iconic films relating to both cities.
Even the cocktails and canapés surprise and delight, while dialing up New York and LA destinations. Working with ‘flavour-based designers’ Bompas & Parr, we create an extraordinary menu that plays with perception in a fun, shareable way.
Guests received a luggage tag that acted as a guide through the event at the start of the night and left with a Five Star Service voucher the exact same size as their boarding pass would be on their next flight with American Airlines.
The celebrity influencers turned up in their droves. As well as an exclusive acoustic set from James Morrison, guests included Graham Norton, Daisy Lowe, Jameela Jamil, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Zara Martin, Sarah-Jane Crawford, Harry Judd, Tamzin Outhwaite, Kelly Jones and Anna Friel.
They all played their part in setting social media alight during the event through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram…
Role: Art Director
Agency: Momentum Worldwide
Copywriter: Roz Waud
Creative Directors: Mark Watts and Seamus Begley (Momentum) and Ben James (Jotta)
Designers: Ross Woods, Kara Feeney and Jake Townshend (Momentum) and Netta Peltola (Jotta)