British Airways launches new ad campaign, 'You Make Us Fly'

British Airways has launched a new advertising campaign, putting its people and customers at the centre of the story about its return to the skies.

“You make us Fly”, which is the first TV advert since “A love letter to Britain” to mark the airline’s centenary in 2019, was shared first with its colleagues and then on the airline’s social media channels. The 60 second ad airs on May 7 around Gogglebox, followed by premier league football matches and F1 being shown live on Sky Sports over the weekend. The campaign was created by WPP Team Horizon, comprised of teams from Ogilvy, Wavemaker and Hogarth.

The campaign features the airline’s own people, all of whom volunteered to feature in the advert that has been designed to have an uplifting feeling and remind customers that they are at the heart of British Airways. The ad showcases the airline’s staff proudly making their way back to work with a very British sense of urgency, to do what they love most, caring for customers.

Sean Doyle, British Airways’ chairman and CEO, said: "There is a sense of huge anticipation from colleagues across the airline who are preparing to return to work after a very difficult year. The story illustrates the pride that our people tell me they’re feeling at the thought of seeing our planes in the sky once again and having the opportunity to welcome and serve our customers, to reunite them with their friends and relatives. The excitement is palpable.”

Helen Wetton, British Airways’ 777 Captain and the first colleague to feature in the advert, said: “I am tremendously proud to have been involved in creating this advert with British Airways. I played my own role as a female Captain who springs out of bed and races to get to work. I am so excited to get back to doing what I love and flying our customers around the world again, when the time is right.”

Jules Chalkley, Ogilvy UK’s chief executive creative director said: “The creative platform was inspired by the very people who make British Airways a world class brand; the pilots, the cabin crew, the engineers, the ground team – everyone.

Our creative tells the world: ‘You Make Us Fly’. When you talk to the British Airways team, this love for their passengers is their first thought, the reason they get out of bed in the morning. The whole platform is a celebration of that passion as we see British Airways colleagues getting back to doing what they do best and the thing they love so much; looking after people. It also brings a surge of excitement and sense of possibility on the cusp of a hugely important time for us all.”

The music that plays throughout the advert is Flower Duet from Delibes’ opera Lakme, which first featured in British Airways’ advertising over 40 years ago and is still proudly used as the airline’s boarding music.

CREDITS

British Airways:

Director of brand & customer experience – Tom Stevens

Head of brand & marketing – Hamish McVey

Global campaigns & content manager – Kathryn Marriott

Global communications manager (Brand) – Shivani Arora

Campaign manager – Beyza Aydin

Global content manager – Daniel Taylor

WPP Team Horizon - comprised of teams from Ogilvy, Wavemaker and Hogarth

Chief creative officer – Andre (Dede) Laurentino

Chief executive creative director – Jules Chalkley

Deputy executive creative director – Sam Cartmell

Senior creative – Tom Elliott-Mell

Senior creative – Jack Patrick

Creative – Lily James

Creative – Naomi Nicholl

WPP horizon lead – Craig Burleigh

Managing partner – Josh Harris

Business director – Kerry Capps

Account director – Julia Pensabene

Senior account manager – Benaisha Mehta

Executive – Ellie Tytler

Strategy partner – Kris Flemington

Strategy director – Bianca Novaes

Group programme director – Charles Frowen

Project director – Lily Greenwood

Design ECD – Dave Towers

Senior designer – Amy Gordon

Design – Dom Flaherty

Head of moving image – James Brook-Partridge