Finnair Launches Early Jack Campaign

Written by Paul van Veenendaal on February 12th, 2008 |

Finnair, the flag carrier of Finland and fifth oldest airline in the world, has launched an extensive international marketing campaign called “Early Jack” to promote its core brand promise “Finnair - the fast airline between Europe and Asia” to its key target customers – business and premium leisure travellers.

The latest marketing campaign by the Finnish national carrier includes a Flash mini site, interactive banner, viral video distribution and print advertising. Both online and offline advertising directs audience to the campaign web site, which is the core target of the campaign.

Helsinki-based advertising agency SEK & GREY Oy, part of the UK advertising giant WPP group, created along with Otto Films, Front Desk, Flash Fabriek and GoViral the Early Jack campaign.

The Finnish agency used the fact that “when you fly faster, you arrive earlier” to communicate the fastness of Finnair. To dramatize the earlier arrival in a relevant, unique and memorisable way, they created the character of Early Jack.

Early Jack is a decent man, who always comes early - or at least on time. In addition to and thanks to that, Jack is a very successful sales director in an international company and travels frequently between Europe and Asia. Based on his vast experience Jack has chosen Finnair to be his approved airline.

Due to his earlier arrivals Jack finds himself in very surprising and amusing situations. Jack’s mates and colleagues never learn that Jack really comes early. They expect him to arrive later and think that they still have time to do silly pranks when the boss is not around, e.g. draw funny faces on picture frames, order oriental food, drink from the boss’s liquor cabinet, relax on the massage table and stripping in the office. If you manage to see all stunts before boss Jack comes back from Japan, one player a week wins flight tickets to Asia or Europe.

To make a strong, but cost-effective impact on its target customers on key international markets Finnair has chosen internet as its main advertising medium, supported by local print advertising on key European growth markets.

Since its launch in the middle of January the Early Jack campaign has attracted 250,000 visitors. The Finnish airline has chosen the European countries Germany, France, UK (Manchester), Italy, Switzerland, Belgium and Spain as its key markets in the first wave of the new international campaign.

Thanks to Ari Ojansivu and colleagues from SEK & GREY Oy for providing the thorough information about the Early Jack campaign.

Other airline (viral) campaigns featured on ViralBlog: KLM (Stop The Hassle & Fly for Fortune), Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.