Three recent examples of nation branding through airlines
National airlines are often considered as brand ambassadors. See how these three countries are marketing at 30,000 feet.
Finnair. The popular Angry Birds mobile game has given its country of origin, Finland, an infinite amount of kudos. Even Conan O’Brien—famous American talk show host—dedicated a sketch to Finland by playing a real-life Angry Birds game.
So what better way to promote Finland in target market Asia than its airline’s in-air contest on one of its long haul flights? Adweek mentions that this month “Finnair will fly from Helsinki to Singapore with eight hard-core Angry Birds fans, who will compete in the Angry Birds Asian Challenge at an altitude of about 33,000 feet. This week, the companies launched a worldwide search for its cross-continental contenders, giving fans an opportunity to share why they deserve to take part in the one-of-kind competition.”
This is the kind of fun nation branding that makes countries memorable.
LOT. Polish national airline LOT is using gastrodiplomacy by shining light on Polish cuisine and offering a new menu of local specialties. Thenews.pl writes, “The new menu, which is brought into service on 1 September, includes old-style Polish pierogi dumplings with meat and marjoram filling, goose pate with plums and marinated pears, gołąbki stuffed cabbage leaves, as well as the ever-popular schabowy pork cutlet.” Celebrity chef Robert Sowa prepared the new menu.
There is also an emphasis on Polish gastrodiplomacy as a tool to promote the country during its EU Council presidency as well as before the Euro 2012 football championships, to be held in Poland and Ukraine next year.
Air Australia. Australian airline Strategic Airline will emerge as a new brand later this year, appropriately name Air Australia. The goal was to bring out the colors and symbols that best describe the country.
Sean Cummins, executive director of CumminsRoss the advertising agency responsible for the rebrand, explained in a Flight Centric article, “Green is our key colour with a hint of gold and subtle silver-grey representing gum trees, koalas and grey kangaroos. The Air Australia symbol is a stylized boomerang, the most striking icon of flight in the Australian lexicon. Because of the company’s strong history as a defense force charter company we have also incorporated the rising sun, also a strong Australian symbol also found on the Australian Army badge.”
Only time will tell if the rebrand will be a hit, but having an airline with the country’s name in it is a great start to improving recognition from a nation branding point of view.
For more information regarding airlines as brand ambassadors, check out Andreas Markessinis’ nation branding blog.
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