WestJet | Christmas Miracle: Real-time Giving | 2013
Just a live camera and 175 people. / WestJet "Christmas Miracle: Real-time Giving"
It looks like it's using some amazing technology, but the real secret is just a live camera and 175 people doing the legwork. Here's what makes WestJet's Christmas campaign work so well.
The problem
The holiday season is when flights are packed and everyone's on edge. Canada's WestJet started planning back in August, thinking hard about the best way to show "giving."
The insight
An airline is usually chosen for price and convenience, but for this one moment, they wanted to show "care" instead. And even though it looks high-tech, what's actually happening behind the scenes is pretty old-fashioned: real people running around shopping and wrapping gifts by hand. That gap is what makes it so powerful.
The idea
On November 21, 2013, on two flights from Toronto and Hamilton to Calgary, passengers scanned their boarding passes at a kiosk by the gate. A virtual Santa appeared, called them by name, and asked what they wanted for Christmas. Behind the scenes, 175 volunteers rushed to Best Buy and CrossIron Mills, bought the gifts, wrapped them, and even attached luggage tags. When passengers landed in Calgary, what they saw coming down the baggage carousel were the very gifts they'd just asked Santa for.
What happened
Within days of being posted on YouTube, it became the most-shared viral ad in Canada. It won a Bronze Cyber Lion and Branded Content Bronze at the 2014 Cannes Lions. Sales during the holiday period rose 86% compared to the previous year.
Afterthought
This miracle wasn't built with technology, it was built with people running around and sweating. It's dressed up to look high-tech, but underneath it's completely analog. I think that honesty is exactly what makes it so moving.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Bronze 2014
