Marisa Garcia Qantas Airlines has turned its new Business class amenity kits into veritable works of art, featuring works by 16 Australian artists.
The new Qantas Curates line of amenities includes sixteen unique designs with catchy titles from Fairy Bread to Bubblegum Dystopia, to Iceland and Home.
The ‘Qantas Curates’ amenity kit project is the result of the airline’s collaboration with professional Australian contemporary art curators to select artworks from artists in a variety of different styles including pop culture, photography, fine art, abstract landscape, Indigenous art and textile design.
The the new range of amenity kits (eight types for men and eight for women) will be offered to passengers in Business class starting on May 1, with two designs launching every few months.
Qantas Group Executive Brand, Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Olivia Wirth, said the airline’s vision is to raise awareness of Australian talent while giving travellers amenities which they are sure to treasure long after the flight.
“As the national carrier, we’re pleased to support talented Aussies telling uniquely Australian stories through their artwork and share them with a global audience,” she said. “Along with inflight pyjamas, we know amenity kits are an important part of the international Business class experience. Customers love the functionality of our kits and many use them after their flight as make-up bags, an evening clutch or to carry their mobile phones. So, the exposure is broad.”
Billie Justice Thomson, whose artwork Fairy Bread will feature on an amenity kit for women said she was proud to be part of a program that showcases Australian artwork in such a unique way.
“It’s really exciting to be part of an art exhibition at 38,000 feet. This is a powerful way to share contemporary art, particularly alongside some of Australia’s most talented artists,” she said.
The new art-gallery amenity kits were produced through a collaboration with Buzz Products, Australia. The marketing firm is know for developing creative amenities which enhance brand positioning. In addition to kits for adults, Buzz has been responsible for some of the most charming co-branded children’s amenity kits in the skies.
Inside these museum-quality amenity kits, passengers will find spa-quality ASPAR products by Aurora Spa (hand cream, lip balm and face moisturiser), as well as a wrap-around eye mask in the same artwork as the kit, Colgate toothpaste, toothbrush, earplugs and travel socks.
Qantas has a long history of providing opportunities for Australian artists to connect with global audiences. Most recently Qantas joined Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art and Tate in the UK in an International Joint Acquisition Program for contemporary Australian art made possible through a corporate gift from the Qantas Foundation.
Full details of the artists featured in Qantas’ new curated amenity kits can be found in these fact sheets:
