Air New Zealand: ’leave It To Us’ Request System

Credits & Description:

Client: AIR NEW ZEALAND
Product: AIR NEW ZEALAND
Product/Service: AIR NEW ZEALAND
Advertising Agency: ASATSU-DK Tokyo, JAPAN
Creative Director: Fumitaka Takano (ADK)
Planner / Interactive Produce: Hirokazu Matsushige (1-10design, Inc)
Planner: Ryusuke Dohi (ADK)
Planner: Tetsuya Umeda (ADK)
Planner / Interactive Director: Tadashi Watano (1-10design, Inc)
Art Director: Hiroyuki Kubo (1-10design, Inc)
Designer: Akane Toda (1/10design.inc)
Designer: Takumi Obayashi (1-10design, Inc)
Frontend Engineer: Hirokazu Fujioka (1-10design, Inc)
Frontend Engineer: Hiroko Nakahara (1/10design.inc)
Frontend Engineer: Ryosuke Emi (1-10design, Inc)
Backend Engineer: Shunsuke Kotani (1-10design, Inc)
llustrator: STOMACHACHE
llustrator: Michael Lam (1-10design, Inc)
Executive Producer: Shunichi Takano (TYO, Inc.)
Producer: Tatsuhiro Ishikawa (TYO, Inc.)
Film Director: Yohei Osabe
Director of photography: Shuhei Onaga (ADK)
Account Supervisor: Shigeki Igawa (ADK)
Senior Account Executive: Aiko Teranishi (ADK)
Describe the campaign/entry:
Struggling to get Japanese to visit New Zealand because of low name recognition, Air New Zealand implemented a campaign of 1 month in September. The objectives were to raise awareness and deepen the understanding of the airline, as well as increasing the airline tickets sales. We set the target to young business-persons. To grab the heart of the audience, we focused on an idea to solve the problem that Japanese employees have, “to take a vacation,” and all the traditional perception surrounding the situation. Hard-working Japanese are famous for hardly taking a vacation. The leave request form is the first problem. Then you need to humbly persuade your boss at work, very difficult for shy Japanese. So Air New Zealand, reached to a simple solution, "‘Leave It to Us’ Request System." This innovative request system, linked with Facebook, creates a leave application customized to generate the most effective and positive response. The system appealed especially to shy young employees who have long given up in taking their vacations. Thousands of requests overflowed online, with their friend’s posts on their own SNS timeline, which itself as a PR, made the chance for employees to be reminded in taking more vacations. Raising awareness of the airline, also conveying the profile and depth of the country, the campaign led to Japan scoring its best leave rate in over 6 years. (2014 Vacation Deprivation® study by Expedia) "‘Leave It to Us’ Request System" – brewing perception change around vacation
Describe the brief from the client:
Though having the objectives to raise awareness and deepen understanding of Air New Zealand, we also aimed to change the traditional perception surrounding the situation for vacation, as Japan held the worst acquisition rate for 6 years (Vacation Deprivation® study by Expedia). The complicated leave request form was the first problem, but to humbly persuade your boss at work was also very difficult for shy Japanese. So Air New Zealand set the goal focusing on all of the above.
Results:
In one month of September, the microsite scored 11,000 likes. Thousands of requests overflowed online, transforming normally reluctant bosses to approve with joy in their off-duty time. Employees also had the chance to be reminded of taking vacations, through their friend’s posts on their own SNS timeline, which became PR itself. And in 2014, Japan scored its best leave rate in over 6 years. (2014 Vacation Deprivation® study by Expedia)
The idea raised awareness of Air New Zealand, also conveying the profile and depth of the country itself.
The image also lead to a great increase in airline ticket sales, 254% vs the same time the previous year.
"‘Leave It to Us’ Request System" – brewing perception change around vacation.
Execution:
"’Leave It to Us’ Request System," a simple and innovative request format that creates a leave application customized to generate the most effective and positive response, was made. Within the microsite, the audience will choose their boss amongst their Facebook friends. Then simply check the date, where in New Zealand they want to go, and most importantly, match them to their boss’s personality. From more than 2000 patterns, the system automatically generates the most persuasive content just for their boss. Once submitted via Facebook messenger, the application was then automatically shared with friends and colleagues increasing the persuasion and creating even more leave applications. Bosses approved with joy through their off-duty but daily tool, Facebook. This unique system appealed to shy young Japanese business-persons, long given up the hope of taking a vacation, as well as their bosses by changing their traditional perception.
The Situation:
Air New Zealand was struggling to get Japanese to visit New Zealand. Low name recognition was one of the problems. Our objectives were to raise awareness and deepen the understanding of Air New Zealand, also increasing airline tickets sales. Japanese are famous for being hard working, hardly taking a vacation. The complicated leave request form is the first problem. Then you need to humbly persuade your boss at work, very difficult for shy Japanese. The traditional perception, surrounding the vacation, was obvious but hard to overcome.
The Strategy:
As mobile site for online sales was about to open, we targeted young business-persons who are willing to purchase airline tickets online. To them, Air New Zealand and the country itself had low name recognition. Also, Japanese are famous for being hard working, hardly taking a vacation, with worst acquisition rate for 6 years. (Vacation Deprivation® study by Expedia). The complicated leave request form is the first problem. Then you need to humbly persuade your boss at work, very difficult for shy Japanese. To truly grab the heart of the audience, we focused on a way to solve the problem that Japanese employees have, “to take a vacation” and all the traditional perception surrounding the situation.