Tag Archives: sports

How to promote an airline at a tennis tournament

Emirates (Dubai) is finding unique ways to promote its airline and its large fleet of Airbus A380. Here is a new one:

Spectators at this year’s Roland Garros tournament® are looking to the skies thanks to Emirates’ innovative A380 aerial camera created in collaboration with the French Federation of Tennis.

Positioned up to 45 meters above the grounds of Roland Garros the Emirates A380 aerial camera has been designed to travel along a secure 350 meter cable throughout the tournament grounds. The A380 camera weighs 60 kilograms and is two meters and 80 centimeters long and took nearly two months to build. Made from fiberglass and polyurethane foam the aircraft is a near perfect replica of the Emirates A380 that currently flies twice daily to Paris.

“Leveraging our sponsorships to showcase Emirates is a key part of our overarching brand strategy. This is the first time we have attempted to create an A380 aerial camera and the results speak for themselves. The A380 is an iconic aircraft and this near scale model hovering above Roland Garros is guaranteed to be a real eye-catcher,” said Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications.

Emirates:

WestJet adds more flights for 100th Grey Cup in Toronto

WestJet Airlines (Calgary) has announced it will add additional flights between Calgary and Toronto (Pearson) to accommodate demand from football fans to huddle up for centennial Grey Cup celebrations in Toronto this weekend. The Calgary Stampeders will play the Toronto Argonauts for CFL supremacy at Rogers Centre on Sunday, November 25 .

WestJet will add one flight on Friday from Calgary to Toronto and one flight on Monday from Toronto to Calgary , plus return flights in the opposite direction each day.

“The Grey Cup is Canada’s oldest professional sports trophy and a truly Canadian celebration,” said Bob Cummings , WestJet’s Executive Vice-President of Sales, Marketing and Guest Experience. “This year, as we celebrate the 100^th Grey Cup Championship in Toronto , we’re calling the signals. Flights between Calgary and Toronto are almost completely sold out, so we’re changing the play. In support of this iconic Canadian tradition, we are adding two more flights to help get more fans over their goal line.”

WestJet:

Virgin America hosts “First Pitch” at San Francisco Giants home game at 35,000 feet

Virgin America (San Francisco) knows how to get attention with its unusual and wacky promotions. Here is the latest announcement:

“Virgin America, the only airline headquartered in San Francisco and the Official Airline of the San Francisco Giants, today is inviting baseball fans to help do good and compete for the chance to throw out the first-ever baseball pitch live broadcast from onboard a Virgin America commercial flight at 35,000 feet – to open the San Francisco Giants’ home game against the Colorado Rockies on August 11, 2012. The first pitch will be thrown down the aisle of Virgin America commercial flight 753 as it enters Bay Area air space en route from Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The first pitch will be captured live on video by AEG Digital Media and transmitted air-to-ground via the airline’s Gogo® in-flight WiFi to AT&T Park, where more than 40,000 San Francisco Giants fans will be watching.

Super fans can win a chance to throw the first-ever mile high pitch today by entering into a contest* hosted by Virgin America, the San Francisco Giants and Major League baseball. All entrants will automatically score a 20 percent off discount** on fall travel on Virgin America – and help give back. For every entry into the competition, Virgin America will donate five dollars to help raise awareness and funds for cancer research via the Stand Up To Cancer initiative. The lucky super fan will join Giants mascot “Lou Seal” in-flight and get to create their own cheering section in the sky: by inviting five friends onboard to help him or her “make it over the plate” (which in this case, is Virgin America’s Main Cabin Select Row Three).”

To enter and for official rules, see: www.sfgiants.com/virginsweeps.

Top Copyright Photo: Virgin America.

Virgin America:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin. Airbus A320-214 N849VA (msn 4991) is named “Fly Bye Baby,” and was painted in honor of the Giants. N849VA was introduced on March 29, 2012.

SAS adds “Denmark UEFA Euro 2012 National Team” markings to DC-9-87 OY-KHU

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has added “Denmark UEFA EURO 2012 National Team”titles to this McDonnell Douglas DC-9-87 (MD-87) OY-KHU (msn 53336) for the upcoming “Euro 2012” European Football (soccer) Championship games to be played in Poland and the Ukraine this summer.

SAS Slide Show: CLICK HERE