Ads We Like: Sandra Oh teaches people how to ‘Travel Like a Canadian’ for Air Canada
Killing Eve star Sandra Oh is from Canada, and since Canadians are known globally for their polite ways, Oh is out to teach people how to ‘Travel Like a Canadian’ in a new spot for Air Canada.
Sandra Oh for Air Canada
The campaign takes a playful look at how Canadians travel and interact with other cultures abroad, while celebrating some of the country’s unique values, to show the world just how Canadians do it right.
Andy Shibata, managing director, brand at Air Canada said: “We’re excited to have created a platform for Canadians like Sandra Oh to tell the world about the values that make our country great. The ‘Travel Like a Canadian’ campaign is an opportunity to share how Canadian values like multiculturalism, openness, compassion and equality make us some of the best travelers in the world.”
The launch video features Oh walking through an airport and pointing out that when people fly Air Canada, they’re essentially traveling like a Canadian, so she points out a few ways to act like a local.
First, she bumps into another Canadian woman and in true fashion, both apologize, then exchange very Canadian phrases like “loonie-toonie” and “ketchup chips”.
Oh then moves on to break up an argument between two girls by offering them a steaming helping of poutine with two forks. Problem solved. She praises the Canadian way of sharing things with other cultures, as she sidles up to the bar next to a Japanese businessman and orders two Caesars – bloody-mary style drinks with ridiculous amounts of garnishes, including a burger slider.
From there it’s on to the plane where she embraces all cultures by greeting a diverse group of passengers in their native tongues. As she sits down, she politely tells an American man that he’s in her seat. He apologizes in the most Canadian way possible.
In international markets, the ad is one piece of a larger campaign positioning Air Canada as the alternative to domestic airlines, and forms part of a wider strategy to add travellers to the airline’s growing global network of nearly 220 airports on six continents.
The brand states that the ‘Travel like a Canadian’ campaign, by FCB Canada and directed by Adam Reid from Holiday Films, will continue further with celebrity collaborations in the future.
Vote for the spot by clicking on the Creative Works box below.
