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Lucky Generals has released its first work for Virgin Atlantic since it won the business last June.

Individuality is at the heart of the campaign as the airline champions the uniqueness of its employees and passengers.

A 60-second TV ad, directed by Ben Strebel through Biscuit, introduces a new endline for the airline: “See the world differently.”

To the track made famous by Gloria Gaynor I Am What I Am – covered in the ad by jazz/soul artist Lady Blackbird – the film follows a group of individuals on their travels with Virgin Atlantic, on the ground and in the air.

Research by Lucky Generals and Virgin Atlantic showed that people felt most airline crews to be impersonal in their service, which prompted the campaign’s dedication to demonstrating Virgin Atlantic’s personal touch.

The brand showcases this human approach through the array of characters that feature in the ad, running across TV, VOD, cinema, DOOH, social and digital.

It begins with a flight attendant about to apply red lipstick and swiftly deciding against it in a nod to Virgin Atlantic’s flexible approach to make-up, which was introduced in 2019.

The film then introduces different passengers and staff through the various stages of the Virgin Atlantic experience, from the departure boards to the cockpit. 

A romance has the potential to blossom between two mutual admirers as they pass one another on the moving walkway. A wheelchair user glides through the airport in a bedazzled chair. A senior professional is stopped at security, only to reveal it’s her tongue piercings setting off the alarms.

In addition to the uplifting film, a series of print ads comprises shots photographed by the Nici & Karin team, which capture crew and customers with lines championing their originality.

Annabelle Cordelli, vice-president of brand and marketing at Virgin Atlantic, explained that the desire for travel has never gone away, despite the impact of the pandemic. 

In preparation for this campaign, Virgin Atlantic reflected on the past two years and how it’s changed people’s perspectives.

The airline realised it needed to come back when the world was ready, with the aim of representing what it stands for.

“Whether it's sustainability, disability, all of the issues that are relevant to travel, we can make a difference that's going to leave a legacy in the world that will matter to customers over the long term and will matter to our people,” Cordelli explained. 

“People want to work for a brand and a business that's making a meaningful contribution.”

Commenting on Virgin Atlantic’s choice to trust Lucky Generals to deliver this idea, Cordelli said: “We got a sense from the beginning that they were in it with us. We did a lot of chemistry calls, and things like that, on Zoom back in lockdown and even with that, you got a real sense of the energy and the passion for what we're about, and wanting to be part of that. 

“From the beginning, it felt really easy; like one big team with similar values and a similar philosophy in life, and therefore, it's a really good fit.”

The creative agency competed against Mother and Uncommon Creative Studio in a three-way pitch while media was handled by PHD.

An 'iconoclastic' brand

Andy Nairn, founder of Lucky Generals, described it as a “dream brief” for the agency because Virgin Atlantic is “one of the most iconoclastic brands in the world, with a genuine desire to do things differently”.

Alice McGinn, planner at Lucky Generals, explained: “At Lucky Generals, we talk about how we are a creative company for people on a mission. Their mission was so clear when Annabelle briefed us.

“So little of [the brief] was actually about communications, it was all about bigger brand building and thinking that transcends just comms but actually informs how we build this brand for the next five to 10 years through product, through people, through customer experience. 

“Those are the kind of briefs that get us incredibly excited.”

McGinn explained that Virgin Atlantic’s mission to showcase individuality meant that the campaign couldn’t be done in the same way as “every other airline commercial with the cliché robotic crew member”. 

Instead, Lucky Generals set out in search of something from culture that embodied this message, and landed on the song I Am What I Am because it “felt like a brilliant testament to being yourself and being an individual”.

McGinn noted the challenges of the concept and explained: “Airports are often quite cold and clinical and aeroplanes are these huge bits of metal, how do we collide that with this brand that is incredibly human and warm and spirited?”

“Hopefully in the work, you'll see that collision of those two things coming together and actually creating a very positive, energised and excited feel to the campaign.”

Being yourself at work

Shai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, explained: “At the core of our business is the understanding that every one of our people can be themselves at work and that they belong. 

“They truly are the thing that sets us apart and the reason customers choose to fly with us. We know that the touchpoints that matter most and the experiences that differentiate Virgin Atlantic are driven by our people and that’s why it was so important they’re at the heart of this campaign.”