Air New Zealand worked with agency FCB West on its latest brand campaign, “Calling All Travelers.”
After pushing its connection with Peter Jackson‘s The Hobbit films for the past several years, culminating in the brand’s “The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made” sendoff, Air New Zealand looks beyond Middle Earth following the conclusion of the trilogy. While the airline hasn’t been totally dependent on The Hobbit-related ads and promos during those years, it has a had a hard time finding its footing without references to Middle Earth, as in the ill-received Sports Illustrated collaboration “Safety in Paradise.”
The hobbits aren’t completely gone from “Calling All Travelers” either, as the Baggins home makes a brief appearance in a montage of New Zealand’s attractions. Of course, New Zealand does a pretty good job of selling itself, with its astounding biodiversity and beautiful locations. FCB West leans heavily on the island country’s natural beauty in the spot, while positioning it as “Far away from expected and nowhere near ordinary.” And if the spot’s attempt at humor (through the true source of what initially seems to be a voiceover) falls a bit flat, it still should entice curious viewers, and especially the “serious travelers” it targets, to consider traveling to New Zealand. The campaign also includes a contest, created in collaboration with agency True inviting participants to build an itinerary for a chance to win the ultimate New Zealand vacation.