South African Airways ad push not a PR stunt

South African Airways (SAA), whose flight from Johannesburg to Hong Kong hit heavy turbulence on 16 July resulting in over 20 people injured, has launched a bus advertising campaign, Facebook contest and discount ticket deals to celebrate its 80th anniversary."The 80th anniversary campaign was planned several months back. The turbulence issue has raised public attention towards SAA. In fact, the crew handled the incident professionally," Kim Thipe, head of marketing at South African Airways, said."Medical assistance was arranged from the aircraft and ambulances waited for the flight on arrival. We hope the 80th anniversary could further highlight the long history and professionalism of SAA and attract more passengers to enjoy our services."62 Citybus and New Buses have been wrapped with SAA adverts both inside and out, with a brand video playing in each of these buses."The concept behind the video is to highlight various domestic destinations available within South Africa and the full offering of destinations accessible through South African Airways," Thipe said.The bus ad campaign, which includes stickers in the backs of the seats featuring QR codes, will run until September 15.  An additional TVC promoting the Facebook contest will be played in 1,200 buses.In the Facebook contest, users are asked to name a South African city they would like to visit and what they would like to do there. Users whose posts receive the most likes will win round-trip tickets from Hong Kong to South Africa.Thipe said, "Through the Facebook competition, we would like to increase our awareness in the market. Since the first criteria for entering the competition is to like our page, this gives participants a chance to learn more about our products and services."And until 31 August, a low-cost round-trip ticket to Johannesburg is on offer through SAA wholesale agents. Although many airlines choose to offer discounted deals in a crunch to stimulate impulse purchases, SAA chose to offer a longer discount period."It's a long haul destination that requires an average of 13 hours of travel each way, unlike short haul destinations within Asia where people can just stay over for the weekend. If passengers would like to travel to South Africa for a holiday, they would need to stay for a longer period of time, which means more time required for preparation," Thipe said."The provision of a longer selling period is to cater for the longer decision-making process."The campaign was also promoted online through display banners, the airline's Facebook page and website.Video credits:Executive Creative Director: Janet KinghornCreative Director: Carla Le Roux and Shannon DavisSenior Art Director: Katlego BaaitseAccount Manager: Anastasia Cost and Penny TilleardMedia agency: Brand Union in partnership with Monarchy