A tale of two Virgins

Virgin Holidays says ‘flaunt it’ via M&C Saatchi UK. Virgin Atlantic says ‘let it fly’ via adam&eve/DDB.

December and January are holiday months. If you’re in the UK, the idea is to escape 60 days of relentless dreariness. In Australia, you go overseas to prove that you can afford to, or you go home to New Zealand. Don’t you?

Escaping fridge-cold days that end in darkness at 3pm must motivate Brits to holiday somewhere summery. Little wonder, then, that M&C Saatchi UK opted for sexy, silly, sunny, Flaunt It. “…just the thing to cut through the January blues,” Aoife McDonald, advertising and media marketing manager at Virgin Holidays, commented.

In the first of six executions, a bather flicks a head of long hair out of a tropically blue ocean in slo-mo to Kelis’ Milkshake. Surprise!!! The shameless cliche belongs to 59 year old hairdresser, Colin.

Elspeth Lynn, executive creative director at M&C Saatchi, added: “The January sale market is cluttered with lots of holiday companies pushing images of enticing destinations in attempts to lure customers in. Virgin Holidays needed to cut through this, using the power of its cheeky, sassy, challenger brand status to stand out and drive sales.” Elspeth Lynn, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi, noted.

The 20 second ad was directed by Tom Van Schelven and produced by M&C Saatchi. The campaign launched on Christmas Day and includes TV, outdoor, online and below the line.

M&C Saatchi has worked with Virgin Holidays since August 2012.

Adam&eve/DDB, on the other hand, won Virgin Atlantic in August from Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R who’d held the account for 20 years.

The Idea with its mantra, Let it fly, is its first ad.

The quirky ad challenges its audience to pursue their goals, with added encouragement by a voiceover that reminds people, “the world doesn’t go to you, so go to it”, all underscored by Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus. The TVC was directed by Sam Brown and produced by Rogue Films.

Tammy Einav, managing director at adam&eve/DDB, remarked, “Let it fly captures the pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial essence of Virgin Atlantic perfectly and positions them as a customer centric airline focused on providing unique experiences.”

“Virgin Atlantic naturally attracts customers who are passionate about seeking new experiences and this campaign throws down the gauntlet to them to turn their ideas and dreams into reality. This campaign is a real step change in how we express ourselves creatively. We’ll always be a challenger brand but for this campaign, instead of challenging the competition, we are challenging ourselves and the customer to let it fly,” Hamish Rickman, head of brand engagement at Virgin Atlantic, added.