Cathay Pacific launches new campaign in selected markets

The campaign rides on a witty theme of a ‘spy-who-knows-everything’ to introduce the many new features of its Business Class.

McCann Worldgroup's Cathay Pacific central team, the agency behind the new campaign, introduces the airline‘s new Business Class with more space, more privacy, centre seats for companions, larger-than-ever flat beds, and the ability to stream video from a personal device to the TV screen – in an interesting and engaging way.

Two 30-second TVCs and five 15-second spots shot by David Lodge from RSA Asia, feature a witty spy-who-knows-everything story, with the hero getting his “new gadget introductions” via his phone from the top-secret tech designer back at headquarters.

Before each trip, the hero listens to the latest mission data on the new features. He jumps ahead to play with the new gadgets – and the disembodied voice knowing he’ll do this and bringing him back in line.

“We all have a little secret agent in us – and none of us ever reads the instructions for anything,” explained Thierry Halbroth, ECD of the McCann Cathay Pacific Central Team. “So we combined these two insights into a series of commercials that have a little fun with what could otherwise be an ordinary product ad. Add some caring flight attendants and an obvious jet-set lifestyle and you have a licence to entertain.”

The agency also enlisted the talent of award-winning photographer Pete Seaward and created print ads with a minimalist feel that let consumers focus on the seat – much like they would on a beautiful piece of design.

“We wanted to do justice to the product, leveraging its fantastic design by treating it like a piece of design instead of just another Business Class seat,”  Halbroth added.

His team deployed the design approach across multiple touch points, including domination of bus shelters in Hong Kong, a minisite, and an update to the CX Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android so that people can take a closer look at the seat before their own mission.

Credits:
 

Project Cathay Pacific's new Business Class
Client Cathay Pacific Airways
Agency McCann Worldgroup – Cathay Pacific Central Team
Executive creative director Thierry Halbroth
Associate creative director Anita Ng
Art director Kato Tsang
Head of English copy Don Ellis
Copywriter Vivian Yong
Executive producer Ida Man
Assistant producer Chung Yau
Digital art director Alex Lai
Programming Jeff Lam
3D Rendering Eric Klein and Alexey Meerov @ Teague
Production house RSA Asia
Director David Lodge
Executive producers John Payne/Marco Leung/Garfield Kempton
DOP Oceanic Chan
Post production Digit Digit
Editor Adrian Brady @ Touches
Sound Eric Lo @ Touches
Music Pete Millward @ Drum Music
Photography Pete Seaward
Producer Mark Cuming
Retouching Bon Leung Limited
Exposure TV, online, print, OOH