Terminal 5 ad campaign launches

[August 4th 2008]

British Airways is launching a new ad campaign, 'Terminal 5 is working', focusing on the customer experience of using the new terminal.

The new ads will appear in print, online, outdoor, on radio and through direct channels for a 38 day period during August and September. Unusually for the advertising industry, they will be produced with a turnaround time of just 24 hours.

"We will be turning around adverts every day within the space of 24 hours for two continuous weeks at a time. This fast production, along with the daily changing content is a novel way for British Airways to communicate - a real first in the airline industry," comments Mick Mahoney, creative director at advertising agency, BBH.

The campaign will use photography of real customers during their journey through Terminal 5 captured on the day before ads appear. The ads will demonstrate how the terminal is working, focusing on areas such as how long it takes to get through security, baggage arrival times, and flight punctuality.

"This campaign isn't about making big promises. The terminal has now been open for 131 days, more than six million people have travelled through it and it has been performing very well for some time. We are letting it speak for itself and reflecting genuine customer experiences on the aspects of the journey that research tells us are most important to them," explains BA general manager for marketing communications, Katherine Whitton.

"The campaign will show that Terminal 5 is a fantastic building that provides a high-quality travel experience and will encourage travellers to try it for themselves," she adds.

On September 17th 29 more long haul routes will move from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Terminal 5, followed by BA's remaining long haul routes at the end of October. This will take the number of flights per day at T5 to about 510.

Written by: Nick Purdom