Marketing Masterclass: Lucky Generals on Seeing the World Differently
Being able to see the world differently is essential to any marketing agency’s success. No one knows that better than Lucky Generals, the brains behind Virgin Atlantic’s “See the world differently” TV spot. By shining a spotlight on the diversity of their passengers and crew, the ad champions Virgin’s future-focused vision and mixes it with the brand’s iconic, lipstick-red swagger.
The result is a heady cocktail of style, conviction and optimism – no mean feat to get across in just a minute of screentime. So we spoke to Andy Nairn, founder of Lucky Generals, to unpack the inspiration behind the ad.
Speaking with ReMake on The Marketing 7, Andy told us what Lucky Generals were going for:
“To be coming out after two years of very difficult times for the whole planet, we wanted to take the opportunity to reboot and reframe and restage what this brand has always been about. It’s looking optimistically, brightly forwards into a new future rather than something that’s harking back.
“The focus is on finding out who we are and then doing it on purpose and with conviction. Rather than going back and thinking about the past, we need to move forward and look at how to improve things for the future. We need to be able to constantly challenge ourselves to be better and inspire those around us.”
Andy highlighted the spot’s stirring soundtrack, “I am what I am”, as key to the message that Lucky Generals wanted to get across. For the ad, a modernized version by Lady Blackbird was used, but Lucky Generals kept in mind another of the classic song’s performers – one Dolly Parton.
“We can take a lesson from that song”, Andy told us. “Dolly Parton said “Find out who you are, then do it on purpose”, which I think is really good advice for anybody in marketing, people in life generally, and for brands.”
That celebration of individuality isn’t a message that every brand could put across authentically, but as Andy pointed out, Virgin Atlantic has never been accused of following the norm.
“We pitched “See the world differently” because we figured it really captured what Virgin has always been about at its best. Virgin have always done things differently because they hire different people, they hire people who don’t work off a script.
“Some airlines you feel like they’re very rehearsed in terms of what they’re allowed to say to you, whereas you get a bit of a laugh and a giggle with Virgin people and they feel like human beings. We wanted to capture that humanity and that diversity Virgin’s always championed. The whole ensemble of Virgin’s people, crew, ground staff, and passengers are cut from a different cloth. They like to fly their own path through the world.”
It's a neat encapsulation of the power of pushing diversity to the forefront. It’s diversity that helps Virgin see the world differently. By pursuing and championing it, it hasn’t just given Virgin a personality that most of their competitors lack – it’s also given them a voice capable of spreading messages that combine purpose, brightness, and inspiration.
It’s a lesson that marketing agencies can take note from. By seeking diversity as a means to bring new skills and perspectives to the table, agencies can come up with creative solutions that are well and truly outside the box.
Other Links To Check Out
Check out Virgin: The Definition of Versioning for a deeper understanding of Virgin's commitment to diversity the success it’s brought them.
You can also check out Lucky Generals to find out more about how they’ll be working with Virgin Atlantic to develop their “See the world differently”.
And, if you want to hear more from Andy Nairn on the inspiration behind the ad, you can watch his conversation with ReMake on The Marketing 7.
