Virgin Atlantic is promising to “break the mould” in the way it advertises ahead of its inaugural flight to Dubai in March.
The airline, founded by billionaire British businessman Sir Richard Branson, claims it will be “cheeky” with its executions while still respecting cultural sensitivities.
Virgin, which starts flights to Dubai on 28 March, has launched is marketing and advertising push with a sideswipe at rival Emirates’s ‘Keep discovering’ tagline. Print ads promoting the impending Virgin service state, ‘Keep discovering until you find the best’.
Stephanie Price Whittle, marketing communications manager UAE at Virgin, said: “I don’t think it is a pop at Emirates, it is just a bit of fun.”
The competition for passengers on the Dubai to London route is fierce, with Emirates, British Airways and Royal Brunei offering direct flights to Heathrow and Gatwick.
Virgin is known for its provocative advertising in other markets and it is a philosophy it wants to bring to the Middle East.
She said: “It is not all about innuendos and taking things to the extreme. We can still be cheeky and fun without the innuendos. We will still do things the Virgin way, but we will do so bearing in mind cultural sensitivities. We want to break the mould, particularly in advertising, and do things that other companies are scared of doing.”
The creative for the launch campaign has been developed by Team Y&R, with Mediaedge:cia handling the planning and buying. Tonic is managing the public relations on a project basis.
An outdoor campaign has started at Dubai Media and Internet cities, which will be extended to Sheikh Zayed Road closer to launch date.
The print campaign has also begun and will run until mid-April, while radio ads will play out from mid March. A direct marketing promotion, targeting travel agents and corporate customers will also kick off shortly.
Price Whittle said: “The thing is with Virgin, we appear much bigger than we are. We don’t have pots of money to spend, but it is about being clever and innovative about what we do.”
One of the biggest challenges for the airline is establishing its brand quickly, Price Whittle said. While the airline is well known in other regions of the world, recognition in the Middle East is low and some people think it is part of the Virgin Megastore chain, she said.
Branson, famed for over-the-top stunts when launching new Virgin routes, will be in Dubai for the launch but she refused to give details on what could be expected on the day.
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