Fly with Us

Background

Flybondi was Argentina’s first low- cost airline, launching in late 2018.

The problem was that Flybondi’s advertising budget was equally low-cost.

Idea

Though Argentina suffers regular economic crises, politicians are not affected. Every single one of the 329 congressmen and women is entitled to 20 free flights per month.

If they do not take the flights, they can still claim the money in cash.

This is a huge expense on the public purse when every normal Argentinian was having to find ways to save money.

The idea was to reach out to the 329 while they were debating the 2019 national budget. A giant mobile billboard travelled around Congress while each individual politician was contacted through their Twitter accounts, inviting them to help the country by flying with Flybondi.

A Whatsapp video shared the idea with all other Argentines to let them know about the new airline.

Results

Earned Media: +400% over initial investment, significantly raising awareness of the brand.

Potentially, the idea could save Argentina around three million USD if congressmen and women flew with Flybondi.

A draft bill has been introduced to stop politicians trading flights for cash.

Our Thoughts

A common theme around the world today is the corruption of the political class. Isn’t it heartening to see a brand stepping in and saying “No!”? Yes, it may well do the brand some good too but at least Flybondi is contributing to the economy of Argentina rather than just leeching off it.

Brand purpose is all the rage these days but as we keep saying at Directory, that doesn’t mean brands have to be soft-centred and sentimental. Making congress accountable to the people it is supposed to be serving, now that’s as good a purpose as any.