Some Canadians might be skeptical that a loyalty program with an airplane for a logo could be relevant to their day-to-day spending, but Air Miles is trying to show them that it provides more opportunities for earning and redemption than meets the eye.

The “Air Everything” campaign drives awareness of the expansive earning and redeeming opportunities available on everyday purchases, like coffee and rideshares, along with the repeated catchphrase, “you can air that.”

Kat Carl-Musson, head of marketing for the Air Miles Reward Program, tells strategy the “Air Everything” positioning is meant to reflect the depth of its loyalty coalition, an effort to change perceptions among a population that primarily associates the brand with air travel.

“On a practical level, it tackles our comprehension challenge in the market and helps Canadians to understand the value of the program, beyond what their current understanding or expectation may be,” Carl-Musson explains. From a visual and style perspective, she says the ad also challenges the perception that Air Miles is still “your parents’ loyalty program,” and does so in a cheeky way.

This spring, BMO announced it had agreed to buy Air Miles after LoyaltyOne filed for creditor protection, officially taking over the loyalty program this June. While Amex Canada plans to discontinue its Air Miles partnership – leaving BMO as the sole issuer of Air Miles credit cards in Canada – it added Dollarama as a new national partner earlier this month.

Carl-Musson says the buyout provides stability and growth for the program, collectors and all partners within the coalition.

“From a marketing perspective, this unlocks massive value to our collectors through richer offers, more communications, and exciting creative campaigns that highlight the value of being part of the program.”

The inflationary pressure that Canadians are feeling right now is being felt across all core “everyday spending” categories, in particular. According to Carl-Musson, while loyalty rewards may have been a nice-to-have in the past, the current realities of the retail landscape are making it a must today, driven largely by the increased value consumers are now seeking from brands.

“When we look at some of the core partners of our program, such as Shell or Metro, we see the way that rewards like free fuel or groceries can become positive behaviour motivators, especially during times of economic challenge.”

When the program was first launched, the “earn” was done predominantly in-store. Today, Carl-Musson says the brand has to evolve to meet changing needs, and that’s come with a bit of a comprehension gap for some collectors. Therefore, the creative targets a national audience with a multi-channel integrated campaign.

“As a brand, we’ve historically leaned into owned and targeted media, which works well for our target audience, but doesn’t allow us to reach a wider group,” Carl-Musson says.

Air Miles is putting a concerted focus on reaching a younger audience with this campaign specifically. The investment is “significant” for the program, and will also feed into other upcoming campaigns and brand moments that will showcase more of the program value, just as “Air Everything” does.

Creative agency Lifelong Crush partnered with the Air Miles in-house creative team to develop the campaign. Media was planned by Media Experts and Air Miles’ in-house social team, while PR and influencer initiatives are being led by Pomp and Circumstance.