The perfect family vacation destination? Albany, N.Y., where else?
JetBlue quizzes youngsters between the ages of 4 and 8 about summer getaways in this charming effort from MullenLowe. And guess what? Kids say the darnedest things!
One tyke suggests visiting Albany, “because it’s the capital of famous New York,” while another picks Barbados for hunting pirate treasure.
They also discuss what they’d like to do at their chosen destinations, describe the amenities they expect, and decide how much they’re want to pay. Check out the sky-high cuteness in the two-minute film below, which takes place, appropriately enough, in a diminutive Little Tickets store:
Yeah, a hotel suite with a bathroom would be nice. Good call, half-pint!
“We invited 10 real kids to our store and let them purchase 10 real Little Tickets for well-deserved family vacation trips,” says Elizabeth Windram, director of brand and advertising at JetBlue, and Adweek’s Grand Brand Genius for 2016. “We are encouraging families everywhere to plan their next family vacation with big discounts on JetBlue Vacations” starting today.
“Today’s families are busier than ever, and no one knows how hard parents work more than their kids,” she adds. “That’s why we offered vacations at prices kids could afford. We recognize that time is best spent together, and we know how valuable family vacations are in creating lifelong memories.”
Sure, the creative approach takes a familiar flight path, recalling AT&T’s “It’s Not Complicated” ads from a few years back. Still, “Little Tickets” is a satisfying trip in keeping with the carrier’s reputation for fun marketing and superior customer care.
As for the spirited sprites who star in the spot, “their appearances were completely unscripted,” Windram says. “The kids didn’t know what the film and activation were about, but they knew they were at the store to buy a trip for their families. We knew the funniest moments and truisms would only come from them being themselves.”
Actor John Murray does a fine job as the adult in the room, riffing effortlessly with the children and never talking down to them, while the fanciful, finely detailed Little Ticket store provides the perfect setting.
“The ceiling and all of the furniture were catered to a child’s height,” says Windram. “It was kind of like filming in a dollhouse, which posed its own challenges” in terms of lighting, camera setups and “the sore backs of our crew,” she says.
Even so, “it was really important to us to illustrate the power we gave these kids—from the reasons why their hard working parents deserved it, to the contemplation of the destinations and, ultimately, the result of a real transaction to spend their own money to ensure family time together.”
CREDITS
Client: JetBlue Airways
VP, Marketing: Jamie Perry
Director, Brand & Advertising: Elizabeth Windram
Manager, Advertising & Social/Content: Heather Cohen
Agency: MullenLowe
Creative –
Managing Partner Chief Creative Officer: Mark Wenneker
Executive Creative Director: Tim Vaccarino
Executive Creative Director: Dave Weist
VP Creative Director: Julia Neumann
VP Creative Director: Amy Ferguson
Senior Copywriter: Patrick Regan
Senior Art Director: Dan Pappas
Video Production –
SVP, Executive Director of Integrated Production: Lisa Setten
SVP, Head of Integrated Production: Zeke Bowman
Producer: Katherine Cheng
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Amy Keddy
Production Company And Partner Details –
Production Company: Hungry Man
Director: Conor Byrne
Executive Producer/Managing Director: Kevin Byrne
Line Producer: Tyler Byrne
DP: Adam Newport- Berra
Editing House: PS260, New York
Post Finishing: PS260, New York
Editor: Maury Loeb
Assistant Editor: Colin Reilly
Managing Partner: Zarina Mak
Producer: Evann Borgman
Color Correction
Colorist: Tim Masick/Company 3 New York
Flame Artist: Margaret Yang
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