Virgin Atlantic is “Flying in the Face of Ordinary” this January with the launch of its new global brand proposition.

Masterminded by RKCR/Y&R, “Flying in the Face of Ordinary” brings to life Virgin Atlantic’s innovative and pioneering spirit. The new proposition captures the airline’s passion for flight and demonstrates how Virgin Atlantic goes beyond the norm to deliver unforgettable experiences for its passengers. 

Simon Lloyd, Director of Marketing for Virgin Atlantic commented: “We wanted to capture the essence of Virgin Atlantic with this new campaign and bring the glamour and fun back into long-haul travel. “Flying in the Face of Ordinary” is more than a marketing campaign; it is a powerful brand proposition and long term platform that will be reflected in all areas of the business from communications and marketing to product and service.”

The new brand proposition kicks off with a global TV advertising campaign and, in 30”, 60”, & 90” TV and cinema edits RKCR/Y&R has created a faux movie trailer to pay tribute to the airline’s staff in a superhero style.

The staff are seen as children in possession of special gifts and extraordinary talents, including intuition, rapid reflexes, creative problem solving, heightened empathy and an ultimate passion for flying.

RKCR/ Y&R brought the concept and the story to life by colliding the creative forces of production company Partizan and with Antoine Bardou-Jacquet directing. VFX studio MPC created a range of photo-real effects and Guy Farley penned the music. The campaign was written by Pip Bishop and Chris Hodgkiss.

A heightened reality sets the scene across the marketing campaign with Print and Out of Home showcasing Virgin Atlantic’s iconic cabin crew presenting individual cabin experiences with collaged product photography. The campaign was written by Steve Williams and Adrian Lim and shot by Tim Bret Day.

A content hub on www.virginatlantic.com continues the “Flying in the Face of the Ordinary” message and features content on Virgin Atlantic’s people, destinations and product as well as details on the real-life Virgin Atlantic staff who inspired the TV ad. The website will also host a 2 minute version of the TV advert.

Mark Roalfe Chairman and Executive Creative Director of RKCR/Y&R comments: “We wanted to bring to life that special spark that makes the people at Virgin different. I think the film really captures that but with the tongue in cheek tone of voice that we’ve built with Virgin over the last 18 years”.