WestJet Surprises Guests with Grey Cup at Baggage Carousel

WestJet, the Official Airline of the CFL, shares its latest campaign with Rethink in celebration of its CFL Partnership and the first act under its new brand platform, “Where your story takes off.”

Guests arriving at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG) on WestJet flights the morning of November 8th were greeted with a major surprise. Awaiting them on the baggage carousel was the CFL's iconic Grey Cup, which otherwise wouldn’t be in Winnipeg this weekend and was brought in by WestJet in partnership with the CFL. It could be found circulating amongst the baggage to the delight of hundreds of fans flying in from Saskatoon, Toronto, and Edmonton for the Western Final game on November 9th, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 

The entire AnA (Act-Not-Ad) was led by the airline’s AOR, Rethink, and was captured through meticulously placed hidden cameras to capture the entire moment to ensure the surprise was truly that for WestJet guests arriving in Winnipeg for the Western Final. A recap of the stunt will be cut down to 15 and 30-second spots and run nationally through paid placements on YouTube, TikTok, and Meta, with WestJet’s media agency, Media Experts, leading the paid media. Rethink’s PR Department, Brand Narrative, led the PR and Influencer Partnerships including partnerships with TSN Sportscaster Kate Beirness and Sportsnet host Donnovan Bennett, who were present to recap the AnA through In-Feed Reels and IG Stories.

WestJet is the proud official airline and vacation tour operator of the CFL. In this partnership, WestJet exclusively flies CFL teams across the country throughout the post-season to their games and the nation's largest single-day sporting event: the Grey Cup. WestJet will also serve as a Gold Partner for the 2024 Grey Cup Festival.

This AnA reflects WestJet’s commitment to crafting special moments to meaningfully impact their guests’ travel stories and journeys. "Where your story takes off," the brand’s new platform and tagline perfectly sums up this promise. 

“As the Official Airline of the CFL, we recognise WestJet’s role in helping to craft unforgettable memories and stories for CFL fans flying coast to coast for games,” says Jennifer Callegaro, director of marketing, WestJet. “We’re proud to have forged this special carousel moment with the CFL and the iconic Grey Cup that we’re sure our guests in Winnipeg won’t forget.”