Brands in the News

Emirates and the Power of Great Marketing

9 Oct 2015  

Every once in a while a marketing team creates a piece of advertising that really stands out. They get it right. There is a benefit, the branding is strong and the piece breaks through the clutter.

This week Emirates released a new spot that delivers. Take a look:

What works here? In my view, pretty much everything.

To begin, the ad breaks stands out. Jennifer Aniston is tremendous. From the first seconds, we are intrigued by the story. What is going on?

The new spot communicates a benefit. The ad uses a classic creative technique, setting up a competitive comparison. Emirates doesn’t name the precise competitor because it doesn’t need to; it could be United or American or Delta or Lufthansa. The comparison is very clear: Emirates has showers and a bar. The other carriers don’t. It is easy to ladder this up to a broader benefit: experience. Emirates provides a travel experience that far exceeds other carriers.

Emirates is targeting a specific group of people: premium flyers. The carrier wants to win over people willing to pay for a quality product, especially business class travelers. The ad will work with this crowd and the message will likely resonate with others. People flying in economy may view Emirates as superior even if they understand that won’t be hanging out at the bar as they fly across the Atlantic.

Finally, the spot is engaging. It is fun to watch and unexpected. People will share it and talk about it. In today’s social world, this is a key to success.

To build a great brand you have to do great marketing. Emirates shows us how to do it.

 


2 Responses

  1. Dave Wieneke says:

    Ad Age also sang about the use of humor and an iconic approachable star — but it feels that in making a good ad, they missed the chance for great branding. After all, this is a mideastern airline advertising with an American star — that cultural connection is powerful and ignored. I’d liked to see them ride the “elephant in the middle of the ad” rather than ignore it.

  2. K K Chung says:

    If she really enjoys the bed, she wouldn’t have the dream, logically!? It reminds me of the Virgin Atlantic “bed” commercial.Professor, which one you think is “strongbrand”?

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