The Challenge

According to studies, Australia ranks highly on the bucket list of Americans seeking their dream vacation. Despite being Australia's national carrier, Qantas was experiencing a decline in its position as the preferred airline for Americans traveling to Australia. Our objective was to increase awareness and consideration of Qantas among American travelers who dreamt of an Australian holiday.

Initially, the project focused on developing a standard banner campaign using existing assets. However, as we recognized a significant PR opportunity, we collaborated across various departments, including Planning, Creative, Account Management, Production, and partner agency Haystac. Together, we redefined the brief and proposed an entirely different approach to Qantas, aiming to maximize the campaign's impact.

The Solution

Through Dentsu Creative’s analysis of data from the U.S. State Department, we uncovered a significant insight: 3 out of 5 Americans lack a valid U.S. passport, with less than 135 million in circulation. Realizing the untapped potential, we launched 'The Passport Take-Off' campaign on Facebook and Twitter. The campaign featured a captivating video with an actual Qantas pilot inviting Americans to obtain their passports "on us." Booking a flight to Australia at Qantas.com and entering a promo code allowed participants to have the full cost of a new U.S. passport deducted from their ticket price. The goal was to enable more Americans to experience the wonders of Australia with Qantas.

The Results

This campaign generated significant reach and media coverage, with over 11 million unique viewers reached through earned PR alone. Headlines featuring our campaign appeared in renowned local and international media outlets, including Forbes, Mashable, Daily Mail, Esquire, MSN, Yahoo, Der Standard, and International Business Times.

To amplify the message, we employed a comprehensive multi-channel approach. In addition to the earned PR, we utilized targeted digital banners, engaging EDMs, compelling social media posts, and a strategic PR strategy.

Dentsu Creative’s social media efforts were particularly successful, with over 17.4 million Twitter impressions generated in just four weeks, reaching an impressive 9.5 million users. Furthermore, the impact of our campaign on website traffic was remarkable, as Qantas.com received over 20% of its total annual website traffic within a span of only 10 days.

These results demonstrate the effectiveness of their integrated marketing approach in achieving widespread awareness and engagement for the campaign.