Air Canada, in partnership with FCB, launched a campaign this week in several U.S. states touting numerous international destinations, like Europe and Asia, that are accessible to Americans.

Stephanie Douranos, manager of routes marketing at Air Canada, tells strategy the timing was chosen because it is 61+ days ahead of peak holiday and winter travel. Air Canada data shows 72% of those bookings are made within this time frame, she adds.

“With the expansion of our international routes, we now have a critical mass of options that are of interest to travellers who see the value in a connection through Canada to international destinations,” Douranos says. “Based on this, we see the value in promoting our international network year-round with an awareness messaging campaign targeting travellers when they are searching for flights.”

The creative features the Air Canada logo seen as a shadow over renowned international destinations from a birds eye view. By linking the Air Canada brand directly with global landmarks, the aim is to reshape perceptions that Americans can reach more than 200-plus destinations via the airline.

The campaign was deployed in 34 major U.S. cities, including Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago, and on more than 2,000 digital billboards. It also includes numerous digital pieces as well as Uber Journey ads and multiple print, custom online articles, high impact display and video takeover ads.

According to Air Canada data, 87% of Americans who connect through Canada to travel to international destinations are primarily infrequent leisure and business travellers. Some 62% of those make their bookings through travel agencies. Air Canada is hoping to reach both an older (65+) and younger (25-44) demographic to attract new customers, Douranos explains.

In August, Air Canada launched a social media campaign encouraging travellers to share their moods while they’re travelling.

WestJet, meanwhile, targeted U.S. travellers last week, using social media to play off the U.S. Presidential Election – won by Donald Trump.

The airline jumped on the trend around a Google search surge, with a jump in Americans searching for information on how to move to Canada following the U.S. election on Nov. 5. The airline teamed up with agency Rethink to promote one-way flights to Canada, in a bid to catch American voters as they watched the polls close.

The brand said the timely advertising campaign tapped into this predictable wave of uncertainty, offering a lighthearted escape valve for weary voters to head north as a reprieve from election anxiety. WestJet’s social ads on Facebook and Instagram were met with 7,000 likes and nearly 1,000 comments in 12 hours, with positive comments including, “Hats off to WestJet brilliant marketing.”

WestJet and the Rethink saw election night as an opportunity to appeal to Americans “during a very specific time that is culturally relevant,” Leia Rogers, partner and ECD at Rethink, tells strategy, adding that “it’s important we recognize where people are and meet them there in real time.”

“The one-way flight ad fits into WestJet’s strategy to draw U.S. visitors by reminding Americans about WestJet, at a time they may not be thinking about travel,” she says. “While we offer flights across North America all year round, we don’t often speak directly to Americans, so U.S. election night was an opportune moment to stand out.”

The social ads come on the back of WestJet’s new brand platform launch, “Where Your Story Takes Off,” which focuses on the stories of travellers that pass through a WestJet flight.