Cathay Pacific Airways has begun a new global marketing campaign to highlight its new cabin designs. The integrated marketing campaign is running in North America, Hong Kong and Europe to let customers know that every class of Cathay planes have been remodeled — including coach.
“This is the first time that we’ve changed all of the classes of the airplane at the same time,” said Dennis Owen, marketing communications manager Americas at Cathay Pacific.
The messaging is running in e-mail, banner ads, search and in print ads, all inviting customers to visit the airline’s new microsite. Cathay Pacific is also hosting YouTube and Facebook pages. The company has worked with a number of agency partners in the past, but Owens said there was no agency tied directly to this push.
On the site, www.cathaypacific.com/experience, consumers can take a virtual tour of the new planes and peruse first, business and economy class. Owen said that “all the messaging drives to the Web site.”
Through a technology called Papervision, site visitors can walk through the cabins, sit in any seat and watch movie trailers for films that will be shown on-board. Site visitors can virtually sit in the new seats, which offer more control over the recline function and do not bump into new, below-seat magazine racks.
In addition, visitors can also take a virtual flight simulator ride, which features Cathay Pacific pilots at the controls in the cockpit. There is also a promotion to win a free a trip to Hong Kong, where the winner can ride in a real flight simulator.
The print ads focus on the benefits of individual classes, with the messaging that “your needs always come first.” In first class, passengers can enjoy “personal attention, interaction and privacy” and in business class, a “cozy retreat.”
In economy class, the ads push that “a new shell seat protects your space, with entertainment on demand”.
The ads target all Cathay Pacific customers, but the online effort is especially aimed at a younger generation. “The younger population is coming up and wanting to travel around the world and China is a huge destination,” Owen said.
