British Airways' First Class Cabin
British Airways
Issue 23 | May 2012
Agency
OgilvyOne London
Creative Team
Executive Creative Directors: Emma de la Fosse, Charlie Wilson; Copywriters: Peter Mabbott, Tooky De Vall ; Art Director + Designer: Tom Mann
Production Team
Producer: John Thompson
Other Credits
Business Director: Andrew Boggs
Date
October 2011
Background
Central to the design philosophy behind British Airways new first-class cabin was a return to understated British elegance. The airline spent five years developing a carefully considered product, one conceived by a team of experts that had dedication to quality, craftsmanship and, above all, attention to detail at its core.
Idea
The ‘Details’ pack was sent to 500 of British Airways most valuable customers. Mimicking the level of detail found within the cabin, every element of the pack was carefully honed and crafted. Each spread contained minute copy that was blended into the photography and, once read, revealed the inspiration behind specific design elements. By weaving this detail into the photography and inviting customers to discover them by removing a magnifying glass lens hooked within its cover, the book took its readers on a journey, not just through the new cabin, but through the meticulous design process itself.
Results
The mailing was designed to retain the loyalty of a valuable segment of the BA customer base during a straightened economic period.
After receiving the mailing, 121,294 bookings were made by this small group between October 2011 and February 2012, up to 3 bookings per person in a four-month period.
Our Thoughts
If the details are really as good as they look, it makes perfect sense to have the target get as close to them as possible without boarding the plane. The design is simple and elegant, and I’d bet my lunch that the idea of hiding the copy came from the art director.