2020 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Challenges and Goals
Among Canada’s leading airlines, WestJet has long been regarded as the airline that demonstrates the most heart. The brand’s reputation has been earned by putting care at the forefront of everything it does.

In the past year, WestJet has begun expanding its fleet to offer a more premium suite of products. It needed to connect with a new business traveller audience, while continuing to demonstrate the humanity that has always been at the core of the brand.

Insights and Strategy
Through focus groups, WestJet discovered that one of the most significant challenges business travellers faced was being away from loved ones (up to 48 days per year on average). WestJet set out to help business travellers pursue opportunities without feeling disconnected from loved ones at home. And it didn’t just stop there - the brand wanted to make it easier on kids who were anxiously awaiting their parent’s return.

The airline created the WestJet Flight Light: a nightlight that uses live flight data to project a parent’s flight path onto their child’s bedroom ceiling.

WestJet worked with FROLIC, a design studio in Amsterdam, to make the Flight Light child-friendly, while also being a sleek, smart home device. The wing-shaped base of the light projects the flight path onto the bedroom ceiling. A detachable flashlight takes the shape of the aircraft body. When the flight path isn’t being projected, children can use the flashlight to project the silhouette of a plane around the house.

Execution
There were three simple steps to activate the light: First, parents entered their flight number into an app. Then, the app sent live flight data to the Flight Light. Children could turn on the device and see their parent’s journey projected on their bedroom ceiling.
Parents could also use the app to send messages and emojis to their child’s Flight Light, letting them know they’re thinking of them as they make their way home. WestJet introduced the Flight Light with a 60-second spot, showing a daughter following her mother’s flight from London back to her home in Calgary.

Results
Within the first two weeks, the brand reached 2.6 million people. Within the same two-week period, WestJet saw 230,000 people click through to explore the Flight Light landing page. The brand collected 6,200 email addresses. It set out to meaningfully connect with business travellers, start a line of communication with them, and get them on board. It also saw a 63% lift in load factor in the Premium Cabin in June, up +42pts. from the previous year during this time period.

Flight Light achieved widespread coverage in publications that business travellers read, including Forbes, Wired and Bloomberg, all applauding the innovation of the device. Social media comments across platforms from long-time WestJet flyers praised the airline for staying true to its compassionate roots, and challenged other airlines to do better.

The Flight Light prototypes were beta tested by WestJet employees and Canadian influencers alike (including HGTV’s Scott McGillivray). Due to significant demand and positive response, the Flight Light has been greenlit to go into mass production.

Credits

Executive Creative Director: Aaron Starkman, Christina Yu
Creative Director: Dhaval Bhatt
Writer: Geoff Baillie
Art Director: Alexandra McGuirk-Penedo
Planner: Sean McDonald, Hannah Newport
Account Director: Amanda Dornan
Account Manager: Sara Lemmermeyer
Product Development Team: Frolic Studio, Amsterdam
Producer: Francesca Marchese
Director: Duncan Christie
Editor: Allison Gordon
VFX: Tendril
Audio: Grayson Matthews
Agency Producers: Kyle Hicks, Sarah Vingoe
Casting: Mann Casting
Colour: Nice Shoes, Phil Choe