JetBlue Surprises New York Commuters at Jamaica Station With a Lovely Gift

In the harsh winter months, commuting is the last thing New Yorkers, or anyone for that matter, wants to do. JetBlue, known for giving unexpected surprises to travelers, came up with a clever way to treat New York commuters with tickets to Jamaica. After teaming up with agency Rokkan and the Jamaica Tourist Board, the airline fittingly set up a piece of the Caribbean island at Jamaica Station in Queens, New York. The activation featured a sandy beach floor, live music, and two hosts who invited passersby to unwind and gave away 15 plane fares. The catch? If offered a ticket, travelers had to give up their train tickets and hop on a plane that day. [kickout id="1"] Brian Carley, Rokkan chief creative officer, got the idea while commuting to his own office. He noticed a number of travel ads to tropical places and wanted to make them come alive. "We wanted to take that idea of a poster and bring it to life and actually give people a chance to stop and warm up a little bit on the cold train platforms at Jamaica and just do something nice and fun, but make it exciting and talk about Jamaica in a more meaningful way," he said. JetBlue filmed travelers' responses and used them to craft its latest video (above). "New Yorkers can be kind of savvy to these sorts of things, especially if they are regular commuters, so we were genuinely surprised by how many really authentic and surprising experiences we were able to capture," said Billy Veasey, a creative director at Rokkan. Some people jumped up and down, some danced, some cried, but everyone was definitely delighted and surprised—something JetBlue strives to do with most of its stunts. The brand is running a "Change at Jamaica" sale alongside the new ad, offering travelers up to 65 percent off certain hotels and packages for trips between March 15 and April 30. CREDITS JetBlue President, JetBlue Vacations: Umang Gupta Vp, Marketing: Jamie Perry Director, Brand & Advertising: Elizabeth Windram Manager, Regional Marketing and Consumer Promotions: Tara Carson Manager, Corporate Communications: Morgan Johnston Manager, Regional Product: Wendy Juengerkes Analyst, Consumer Promotions: Jaclyn Costantino Jamaica Tourist Board Manager, Tour Operators and Airlines: Francine Carter Henry Manager, Media Relations: Kris DaCosta Rokkan Chief Creative Officer: Brian Carley Creative Director: Billy Veasey Creative Director: Bill Carlson Copywriter: Katie Lee Art Director: Alex Junquera Chief Delivery Officer: Joe Tao Vp, Client Partnership: Kaitlyn Brenner Business Manager: Bryeanna Murphy Production Production Company: Honor Society Director: Tim Abshire Director of Photography: Will Rexer Executive Producer: Megan Kelly Producer: Tim Herrick Production Supervisor: Mike Natale Production Designer: Holbrook Hayes Stylist: Jennifer Brownstein Hair and Make Up: Maryse Felix Casting Company: Liz Lewis Casting Editing Company: Fluid Executive Producer: Laura Relovsky Producer: Meg Hall Editor: Peter Sabatino Assistant Editor: Evan Johnston Music Company: APM and Founder Music

Customer Experience

JetBlue Surprises New York Commuters at Jamaica Station With a Lovely Gift

A little piece of the Caribbean, in Queens

Katie Richards

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Katie Richards