Air Transat is challenging Canadians who may have gotten a bit too comfortable at home during the pandemic to break out of their routines by availing themselves of its latest promotional offer.

Called “Time To Go,” the promo and its associated campaign were developed by the airline and its creative agency Sid Lee. The campaign plays with Transat’s core brand message – that travel can be transformational – and mixes it with the insight that travel can also represent a critical change of pace for people who have become static and potentially sedentary due to lockdowns and working from home.

The campaign centres on a 30-second ad (with 15- and six-second cutdowns) that features a number of people who have been comfortable in their homebound routines: a couple sleeping on their couch in front of their TV, a man working on his motorbikes in his garage, and a woman caring for hundreds of plants in her home garden. Over a span of seconds, each of the individuals starts to grapple with the revelation that they are spending too much time at home.

“‘Time To Go’ is perfectly aligned with our mission,” explains Joseph Adamo, chief sales and marketing officer at Air Transat. “We believe that one of the best ways to grow personally is to get out of that comfortable routine.”

While pandemic-related restrictions on traveling outside of the country have largely lifted, many Canadians have become used to not considering any travel plans outside of local attractions and “staycations.”

“Comfort zones allow us to relax and take solace in the familiar, but sooner or later, there comes a time when we want to shake things up,” says Brian Gill, creative director with Sid Lee. “‘Time To Go’ is about that moment of realization when we say to ourselves: ‘I need some adventure.'”

The campaign has been rolled out across Ontario and Quebec, with the OLV spots supported by radio, online media and contextual OOH – such as billboards on transit shelters that challenge people to take a different kind of outing than just commuting into their office.

In tandem with Eat It Up Media, Transat has also partnered with 45 pizzerias in the GTA and Montreal that transposes the campaign onto branded pizza boxes. The boxes pose a question that challenges the consumer, while sharing information about the promotion and a QR code leading to its website.

“We decided to speak directly to those who may have fallen too deep into their comfort zone, similar to the message conveyed in our video campaign,” says Valérie Martin, director of marketing, brand and commercial activities with Transat, of the pizza box placements. “There is no better way to indulge in comfort food than to order a pizza at home, and no more enjoyable way to shake things up than to travel.”

The promotion and accompanying campaign are running through May 22 for travel until Jan. 31, 2024.