WestJet is saluting holiday heroes – not just staffers – but people in travel-adjacent industries too.
This year’s campaign, “Holiday Heroes,” is informed by brand insights that one-in-four Canadians will be separated from a loved one over the holidays, and includes three surprise reunions to tug at the heartstrings.
In this, the 11th iteration of the airline’s “Christmas Miracle” work, WestJet brought together a Translink bus driver and his sister from New York City, a valet at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and his parents from Dublin, and an AGI ramp agent from Vancouver International with her childhood friend in Prince George.
“This year, our Christmas Miracle campaign acknowledges the many holiday heroes across the travel industry and gives them the best gift of all – time with their loved ones,” says Jennifer Callegaro, director of marketing, WestJet.
According to Callegaro, it was nice to give a nod to a broader community of those who work in travel, even if its target is Canadian travelers, broadly.
The brand has done flash mobs in airports, surprised guests on flights, and according to Callegaro, it’s always interesting to see how the campaign evolves. She acknowledges that it can be a challenge to do novel holiday campaigns in a meaningful way.
Callegaro tells strategy that people don’t appreciate the “meticulous” planning that goes into these reality-based surprise-and-delight campaigns.
“I’ve been in the industry over 15 years… and to really orchestrate a real reunion like we did here and ensure there was an element of surprise and our heroes were unsuspecting, was a heavy lift,” Callegaro says.
Video and social are key to amplifying the campaign, Callegaro explains. This year, WestJet is also adding a cinema buy to give the campaign a “full emotive experience.”
Rethink is the creative agency behind the campaign, and the media shop is Touché.
This summer, WestJet purchased Swoop, and in October, the discounter operated its final flight before being integrated into the Calgary-based carrier’s mainline.
