Virgin Atlantic has launched a new integrated campaign with creative communications agencies Lucky Generals and Tin Man, centred on how the airline is able to support deaf customers.
Created by Channel 4’s in-house creative time 4Creative, the hero 30-second spot shows one of the channel’s familiar BSL interpreters joined on-screen by one of Virgin Atlantic’s own BSL-trained crew.
Initially the ad appears as a standard Channel 4 spot in house style before the presenter is joined by a Virgin Atlantic interpreter in full uniform.
At first they both speak to each other in BSL without subtitles – a part of the video that speaks directly to the community. As the colour scheme shifts to Virgin Atlantic red, the rest of the audience is brought in to the conversation as subtitles and voiceover appear.
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The campaign, which has been running during International Week of Deaf People (23 – 29 September) aired during hit TV shows including Gogglebox and the Great British Bake Off. A second spot will air on Friday night’s First Dates.
As part of a wider PR campaign Tin Man has also brought on board deaf content creator twins Bring Her (Herman and Heroda Berhane) to put the offering to the test.
Media was brokered by Omnicom’s PHD.
“Too often the deaf community is an afterthought,” said Lucky Generals creative directors Tom Prendergast and Joe Stamp.
“We wanted to give everyone a taste of what that feels like, by flipping the convention on its head, and creating a film which talks directly to the deaf community. Because Virgin Atlantic has BSL trained cabin crew on their flights, so everyone can travel inclusively and ‘see the world differently’.”