In a clever attempt to differentiate its brand from other airline brands, JetBlue turned to YouTube and launched a series of videos that call attention to the common airline policies that anger consumers. Each video uses a hidden camera to capture consumers’ reactions to airline policies applied to other aspects of daily life.
For example, a New York City taxi driver reclines his seat and explains the legroom policy in his cab to paying passengers or he tells passengers that they’re required to pay a $25 baggage check fee to carry luggage in the trunk of the taxi. Other videos show an elevator ride destined to stop on every floor because it’s not a “non-stop” trip and a New York City street vendor pouring drinks into airline-sized disposable cups for customers rather than handing over the entire can.
As you can imagine, the reactions of New York City patrons are honest and amusing, and they perfectly support JetBlue’s message: “You wouldn’t take it on the ground. Don’t take it in the air.”
The videos work for one simple reason, JetBlue does offer more legroom, first checked bags are free, and you get the full can of Coke and a free snack no matter where you sit. In other words, JetBlue offers tangible differentiators and clearly demonstrates why consumers shouldn’t settle for less.
The YouTube videos are just one part of a larger marketing push JetBlue is launching in target cities across the United States, which will include online, mobile, offline, ambient, and in-flight initiatives. In other words, this is a well-strategized, fully-integrated marketing campaign.
You can view some of the JetBlue video montages below and check out all of the videos on the JetBlue YouTube channel within the Ground Rules playlist (which is great use of a playlist on YouTube, I might add!).
Glass Half Full Montage
Cab Jam Montage
Taken for a Ride Montage
The Local
What do you think of this effort by JetBlue? I like it, but I’d like to see even more social media efforts supporting the campaign which could carry the entire campaign to the next level of success over time. Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Susan Gunelius is the author of 10 marketing, social media, branding, copywriting, and technology books, and she is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She also owns Women on Business, an award-wining blog for business women. She is a featured columnist for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com, and her marketing-related articles have appeared on websites such as MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, TodayShow.com, and more.
She has over 20 years of experience in the marketing field having spent the first decade of her career directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. Today, her clients include large and small companies around the world and household brands like Citigroup, Cox Communications, Intuit, and more. Susan is frequently interviewed about marketing and branding by television, radio, print, and online media organizations, and she speaks about these topics at events around the world. You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
