New ad campaign for FlySafair

The extensive marketing across TV, outdoor and digital - with print and street to follow - has used different messages in the different mediums.

"When you consider that in a day we're likely to be exposed to approximately 3500 marketing messages, it stands to reason that brands need to create campaigns that are out of the ordinary. As a unique brand, we knew that our advertising campaign had to be as distinctive as the colour of our logo and as impressive as the service we've been offering for the past 48 years," says Lorna Terblanche, VP Passenger Services of FlySafair.

Drawing on freight experience

As the holding company of South Africa's newest low cost carrier, Safair has a rich history on which to draw from, when it comes to communicating and FlySafair's love of flying. It has flown beleaguered rhinos from one African country to another, transported white sharks in giant water tanks from the Philippines to Australia and carried scientists and adventurers to Antarctica.

As a leading aerial logistics company in Africa, it carries freight around the world, flies in teams of people wherever and whenever they are needed and supplies back-up planes to other South African commercial airlines.

FlySafair's positioning was built on five pillars. First is safety, as it is non-negotiable and will always be the airline's top priority. The second pillar is based on affordable fares, which is a given in the low cost airline market, while the third is utilising leading technology to make the interface between the airline and passengers seamless. Its fourth pillar is high adventure because of the company's almost five decades of flying and lastly, good old fashioned manners and a genuine friendliness, which is evident right across the company.

Multiple messages

"In order to break through the marketing clutter, we chose to emphasise different messages across various media platforms that highlight the airline's tagline," says Janita Edwards, managing partner of Co-Op, the airline's marketing and brand partner. "For example, the TVCs illustrate normally inanimate birds remembering their love of flying and taking off and flying away. Other media such as outdoor billboards, have steered towards more educational messages such as how to book and the fact that the focus is the Johannesburg-Cape Town route, for now..."

Print and street activations will follow once the airline is operational and will focus on key campaigns to drive people to the website, where passengers can book and pay for their flights.

A large portion of the media budget will be spent in the digital realm with comprehensive campaigns using Google paid search and display, targeted publishers and social channels, as research shows that the majority of bookings are made online.

Competition allows non-flying consumers to participate

In further celebration of its tagline, it has also launched a campaign where a few members of the public will stand a once in a lifetime chance of naming one of its Boeing 737-400s.

Even better is that anyone can enter, whether he or she has purchased a ticket or not. People are encouraged to enter online at www.flysafair.co.za/your-name-on-a-plane.

Launch well received

"The launch has been welcomed by the flying public and we've had good feedback from customers via social media platforms and the call centre. Judging by the positive response we have received on our entry into the market and from our advertising and social media campaigns, South Africa is clearly ready for a new alternate domestic carrier to ensure more competition and reduced pricing.

"We have no doubt that our communications and creative campaigns will go a long way in further cementing our entrance into the market," concludes Terblanche.

View the TVC below