Aer Lingus has taken a novel approach to promoting its UK to US service (via Dublin) with a special event in Manchester featuring American classics: Marilyn Monroe and Bagels.
The airline put up an Aer Lingus food truck on Albert Square which served the bagel sandwiches. Visitors were encouraged to take a picture with an (incredibly convincing) Marilyn Monroe look-alike. They could enter a draw for two flights to the U.S. by sharing their picture on social media.
“There are many reasons to travel via Dublin on your next trip to North America. You can pre-clear U.S. Customs and immigration in Dublin. This allows you to pass through domestic channels upon landing for a smooth and swift arrival in the USA,” the airline explains on its YouTube channel.
“We also offer exceptional all-inclusive value with free 23kg baggage allowance, complimentary meal and drinks during the flight. You’ll be kept entertained with onboard Wi-Fi and the latest films, television and music via a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system.”
The popular bagel + Marilyn campaign has continued on to Birmingham and is being shared with the hashtag #USAerLingus. (See what they did there? Clever.)
#marilynmonroe is in #Birmingham #USAerlingus pic.twitter.com/IvS3GHiLpf
— Cheralene Lavery (@Cheralene) September 20, 2016
I saw no gravalax to go with the cucumbers, lettuce and schmear in the bagel. Technically, this makes them American-style English cucumber sandwiches. But that’s OK. It’s the thought…
For more inspiration on airline social media promotions, you may want to pick up a copy of SOAR, just published by Simpliflying’s CEO Shashank Nigam. Simpliflying has become the industry’s go-to resource for engaging, social and marketing campaigns.
While Simpliflying reports on novel campaigns throughout the year, SOAR is an in-depth study of seven leading airline case studies: Southwest, Finnair, AirAsia, Turkish Airlines, kulula, Singapore Airlines, and Air New Zealand.
For each airline, Nigam shares unique insights on what makes the corporate culture tick. The book creates a template for successful brand-loyalty development that any smart airline CMO, CCO, and CEO should consider required reading.