Heathrow Summer Campaign Celebrates Small But Significant Airport Stories
Heathrow – Europe’s biggest airport – celebrates the importance of passengers and their unique but universally resonant stories in a new summer advertising campaign, launching today.
Created by Havas London, the campaign spans TV, out of home and digital, and runs throughout the summer holiday period.
Rather than focus on destination, as per category convention, the campaign continues Heathrow’s ‘Closer’ positioning by highlighting the airport’s ability to bring people closer together for special moments every day – a role it has played for more than 70 years.
At face value, this campaign tells just another Heathrow story. But there’s no such thing – as every story that starts at Heathrow is significant, however small it may appear to the outsider.
It was this insight that inspired these executions: a series of singular stories that provide a unique intimate lens into a passenger’s experiences while nodding to the multitude of stories that unfold every day at Heathrow. These are brought to life through the guise of setting an Out of Office message – a small yet significant act which lets the world know that you’re on holiday, giving you the space from work to get closer to those that matter.
The 40’ TVC opens on a mother as she sets her Out of Office: this action brings a smile to her face and, when completed, allows her to focus all her attention on her two young children as they wait to board for their holiday. The kids, of course, are being kids: fighting, laughing, dancing, taking selfies and arguing over the window seat. It was directed by Stink Films’ Gold Cannes Lions-winning Tom Green, while Moonlight’s Oscar Award-nominated James Laxton was DoP. It is soundtracked by Roots Manuva’s Fighting For.
It is supported by a series of OOH executions shot by renowned portrait photographer Christopher Anderson, best known for his shots of the likes of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Bryan Cranston and Bernie Sanders. Each offers a glimpse into its protagonist’s Out of Office message, spanning the likes of mini-breaks with partners, beach holidays with children, heading abroad meeting the daughter’s new boyfriend or post-break-up, broken heart-mending getaways.
Ross Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Heathrow says: “Every passenger travelling through Heathrow has a story, and every story is important to us. We are proud to play a part in enabling some of life’s most significant moments - we wanted to capture these and celebrate them, building excitement for everyone looking forward to their own special moments across the summer.”
Ben Mooge, ECD at Havas London, adds: "Love or loathe our jobs, we all know that moment of unbridled joy that setting your Out of Office brings. This is the lens through which we tell these individual, but universal, stories – and Heathrow sees more of this emotion than any other place of the planet. As ever, it’s not about an airport – it’s about people.”
