Air Canada Bought a Round at a London Pub - But Delivered So Much More Than Just a Drink

Canadian expats living in London, England, were delighted when “Canada Night” at the Maple Leaf London pub turned into a free round trip ticket home for the holidays. 

The Importance of Going Home for the Holidays 

Millions of Canadian citizens study, work and live abroad, often seeking out each other’s company for that sense of home while away.  And, while getting together with other Canadians works for much of the year, there’s just no substitute for being at your real home with loved ones over the holidays.  As well, many Air Canada employees are often away from their families due to the requirements of their jobs.  Because they are in the business of reuniting people with their loved ones, they deeply understand the importance of getting home for the holidays.  

So, Air Canada – with the help of their compassionate pilots and flight crew – set out to give 200 lucky holiday-home-sick Canadians the most meaningful gift of all: home.

“These kinds of initiatives open up new opportunities for us to engage with our customers on a different level from traditional campaigns,” observed Craig Landry, Vice President, Marketing.  “This was also a great way to showcase our employees, their pride and our brand values during the holiday season.”

Creating the Gift of Home 

Known as a little piece of Canada in the heart of London, the Maple Leaf London pub was in on the giveaway, conceived by Air Canada’s Ad Agency JWT Canada.  The pub invited unsuspecting Canadians to stop by on November 27th for a ‘taste of home’.  When Air Canada pilots and crew members made the announcement that each person in the pub would be getting a round-trip ticket to their Canadian hometown, cheers and tears erupted from patrons.  Many of them haven’t been home in years.  

“There are so many great things about the holidays, but at the top of the list is being home with loved ones. It couldn’t be truer for Canadians living abroad,” says Brent Choi, Chief Creative & Integration Officer of JWT Canada. “This idea really brought to life the emotion that Air Canada is entrusted with every holiday season."

There continues to be no shortage of wonderful stories being shared from the giveaway winners.  One said they can now visit family they haven’t seen in years, while another is planning to embark on new, life-changing career adventure back home after years abroad.  An impromptu chorus of "O Canada" erupted from the entire crowd after the announcement – a true patriotic moment.  Recipients took their joy online, tweeting photos with the hashtag #ACgiftofhome.