St Luke's Debut Work For Heathrow Airport Celebrates Family

This is Heathrow Airport's first work with St. Luke’s as lead strategic creative agency, since it won the pitch for the brand in August

By Creative Salon

14 November 2022

Heathrow Airport is launching a Christmas brand ad which is a heart-warming story about that special feeling of being with your loved ones over the festive holidays. It’s the first work with St. Luke’s as lead strategic creative agency, since it won the pitch for the brand in August.

The feel-good 60 second spot called “The Gift” shows a couple in the departure lounge of Terminal 2, drinking champagne to toast their imminent festive getaway - just the two of them. However, the mum seems sad that the pair will be spending Christmas without their kids for the first time - especially when she spies a family with children laughing excitedly in the airport terminal ahead of their flight.

She soon cheers up as they peruse the airport shops, trying on headphones in InMotion Entertainment and buying some of her favourite Jo Malone perfume in the World Duty Free store. The dad then suggests they grab a pre-flight bite to eat at Shan Shui, one of the terminal’s many restaurants. As they browse the menu, he reveals he’s got her an early Christmas present and tells his wife to close her eyes.

In moving scenes, their two grown-up children then appear at the table - and it’s revealed they’ll be joining their parents on their Christmas holiday break after all as their mum cries tears of joy hugging them. The closing line: “This Christmas, depart as you mean to go on” encompasses the special holiday feeling that starts at Heathrow Airport even before reaching your destination.

The Gift will debut on VOD from 14 November, as well as in cinemas and online. It will also be screened at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and Canary Wharf ice rink. It is part of a wider campaign to highlight the great experience at Heathrow, by showcasing the vast range of retail brands and restaurants available, featured in 15-second cut downs of the TV spot. The campaign will also appear across OOH and static social media that mirrors the TV.

Ross Baker, chief commercial officer at Heathrow Airport comments: “At Heathrow we work year-round to ensure that our passengers can travel across the globe to reunite with their loved ones. Colleagues across Heathrow will be working hard to make sure that millions of people can get away for their festive holidays. We hope our Christmas advert shares the joy we feel when our passengers create these special memories at the airport. For many passengers, Christmas starts at Heathrow, with over 250 retailers and restaurants to enjoy before they jet off to one of the 200 destinations available for some holiday joy.”

Richard Denney, executive creative director at St. Luke’s adds: “Although our couple are excited to have booked their first holiday away from their kids, and are enjoying everything Heathrow has to offer before they fly, there's still that lingering longing that Christmas won’t be the same without them. So, the joyful surprise Mum gets seeing that her teenage children will also join them on holiday will be a memory that lasts a lifetime and perhaps the greatest gift for her this year.”

It has been directed by Molly Burdett, who was nominated for Best New Director at Kinsale 2021, and won a Glass Lion Award at Cannes this year. She has also won accolades for her work for the charity Women’s Aid, and is also known for her video work with Mercury Prize and Brit Award-winning singer Arlo Parks. Molly’s film ‘Have A Word’ for the Mayor Of London this year went viral, receiving over 307 million views.