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ravel Weekly has teamed up with Virgin Atlantic to help agents to ‘See the world differently’ in line with


Virgin Atlantic cham V


irgin Atlantic’s employees have been placed front and centre of the airline’s new


campaign aimed at shining a light on their individuality. The carrier’s ‘See the world


differently’ campaign champions the “rich individuality of the airline’s people and customers”. Virgin Atlantic said the


marketing reinforces the personal service that its crew delivers. “It’s always been people who


make Virgin Atlantic,” said Lee Haslett, vice-president of global sales, speaking on a webcast with Travel Weekly editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley. “They’re the beating heart of our


business. Our customers say that and our travel agents. We hear that feedback constantly.” The campaign includes a


60-second TV ad showing Virgin Atlantic cabin crew and travellers at an airport and on board an A350-1000, set to Gloria Gaynor’s song I Am What I Am. A print campaign showcases


Virgin Atlantic crew and customers, including a businesswoman, a family


The campaign champions the rich individuality of the airline’s people and customers


arriving for their holiday and a female captain. “The campaign champions the


rich individuality of the airline’s people and customers,” said Haslett, adding employees are “encouraged to be their true selves on board and on the ground”. As part of the campaign, Virgin


Atlantic updated its employee policy and, since May 31, staff are no longer required to cover up tattoos while in uniform. To create the campaign, Haslett


said it had been crucial to involve employees both on and off screen. “Our people add more personal


touches,” he explained. “They are passionate about our brand, and really passionate about what we stand for, and we wanted to get as many of them involved as possible.” The carrier held open castings


EMPLOYEES ON WORKING FOR VIRGIN


Amy Stirling “Becoming a mother, you do worry that your career will have to take a back seat, whether you want it to or not. But this hasn’t


happened at Virgin Atlantic. The company’s approach to flexible working means that I’ve been completely supported to be able to keep working alongside being a mother.”


Bradley Smith “This is a company that has always championed and supported individuality, as well as being a long-time ally of the LGBTQ+ community. That’s true not just in terms of things like putting on


fabulous events such as the Pride flight, but also fighting for the things that matter, like supporting Open for Business and standing up against anti-LGBTQ+ laws in some Caribbean countries.”


Rachel Wilton “The positive attitude and ethos I’ve encountered at Virgin has encouraged me to grab opportunities when they’ve come up. I feel hugely encouraged as a woman in a leadership role. I was able to climb the career


ladder while having a family and creating a work-life balance that really worked for me. We’re always encouraged to be ourselves, to innovate and to think outside the box, and that means so much to me.”


across the company for employees who wanted to take part. “When we were developing this


campaign, we had, unbelievably, some 200 of our people participate in its creation,” he said. In partnership with Travel Weekly,


Virgin Atlantic is aiming to spread the message of individuality to the wider travel industry, and is running a competition for agents to be in with


the chance to win return flights. i To find out more about the competition, see box, below right, or visit travelweekly.co.uk/VirginAtlantic


Employees are ‘encouraged to be their true selves’ while at work


Several virgin staff feature in the ad


10


23 JUNE 2022


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Craig Gibson


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