EasyJet launches TV campaign to grab business flyers

The campaign, called “Business Sense”, breaks tomorrow (13 September).

The competition for the business flier market is hotting up with low cost rival Ryanair now targeting the segment aggressively. Ryanair launched its own campaign on 1 September to communicate its new business class proposition with the strapline “Business. Made Simple”.

EasyJet’s ad focuses on the airline’s strong record for punctuality and points out that last year, on average, the airline was more punctual across Europe than British Airways.

Commercial director Peter Duffy says: “This is the first time we have chosen to advertise to business travellers on TV and it is indicative of the importance we place on this key and growing market for us … the ad campaign should help us to reach business travellers who may not have considered easyJet to date. So in the campaign we aim to communicate that easyJet isn’t just a more cost-effective option, it’s actually a smarter choice for business travellers all-round.”

The ad, made by VCCP, opens in a busy airport with business travellers rushing round to catch flights. The accompanying song is “I’m late”, famous from Disney’s animated film Alice in Wonderland and the ad focuses on a relaxed individual reading a paper who turns out to be a white rabbit, and who is calm in the knowledge his plane will be on time. The narrator of the ad is Hugh Laurie.

The campaign also takes in press, outdoor and digital work that communicates messages about easyJet’s key services such as flexible fares and its extensive network.

EasyJet’s fortunes were accelerated in recent years by take up from business flyers trading down in the recession and the airline is keen to retain its hold on the market as more competition emerges.

For the quarter ending 30 June easyJet reported that total revenue grew by 8.6 percent on the same period in 2013 and passenger numbers increased by 9.4 per cent.