Experiential-led campaign sees P.E. Nation clothing dubbed the Tassie Tux and included airline lounge activation and influencer marketing efforts
A collaboration between Virgin Australia, Tourism Tasmania and P.E. Nation has been labelled a hit after surpassing targets for inbound travellers to the Apple Isle, return on ad spend and engagement.
The partnership was aimed at encouraging Australians to book a flight with Virgin and visit Tasmania during the quieter, traditionally off-season winter months. To do this, the trio worked with one Green Bean to build out ‘The Tassie Tux’ activation aimed at achieving just that.
A key element of the off-season campaign was a limited edition ‘Tassie Tux’, or black puffer jacket/vest dubbed the unofficial uniform of the island state, coupled with the tagline, ‘what to wear when you come down for air’.
Teaser content was then created in collaboration with P.E. Nation, with the official campaign then launching on 1 June 2022. Prior to departure, guests were gifted the limited-edition jacket and invited to join in an experiential takeover of the airline’s lounge featuring Tasmanian musical entertainment and sparkling water bar sourced from Tasmanian springs.
This was followed by a ‘Black Tie’ in the sky event produced in partnership with Havas Boulevard. On-board flight activities to Hobart included entertainment and curated in-flight Tasmanian delicacies. In addition, a number of influencers, content creators and media were encouraged to capture and share Tasmanian destination content from their overnight stay.
Off the back of the campaign, Virgin Australia said bookings for inbound passengers to Tasmania were 229 per cent above target, while flight searches increased 118 per cent over the prior three-month period. It estimated the multi-touch return on ad spend (ROAS) grew 28 per cent over the prior quarter.
Media relations managed by Enthral generated 46 pieces of editorial coverage across national news, digital and radio, reaching a potential audience of 47 million. Influencer content reportedly generated $359,000 in earned value from more than 250 social posts reaching 6.5 million consumers. A complementary Virgin Australia social competition also recorded 40,000 visits and 23,000 unique entries, with organic content reaching 102,000 on the airline’s Instagram account.
“Tasmania is a key destination for us as we continue to write a new chapter in our transformation journey at Virgin Australia,” Virgin Australia CMO, Libby Minogue, commented. “Winter in Tasmania is one of the best kept secrets in Australia. It is wild and wonderful, and the off-season campaign encouraged mainlanders to experience it for themselves. We enjoyed partnering with Tourism Tasmania and P.E Nation to create a limited-edition Tassie Tux to keep warm as they explored the state’s natural beauty, sights and festivals.”
P.E. Nation co-founders, Pip Edwards and Claire Tregoning, told CMO the partnership was a good fit with the brand’s efforts responding to growing consumer demand for businesses to support sustainable practices.
“With a growing awareness and passion for sustainable practices from field to front-row, P.E Nation collections focus on progressive practices to balance science and nature, to be better for our people and our planet,” the pair said. “This off-season campaign laddered back to this perfectly.”
One Green Bean general manager, Amber Abbott, said the agency had been excited by the opportunity to connect the brands around such an immersive experience as visiting Tasmania.
“It’s not every day you get to bring three iconic brands together to earn attention for the incredible experiences on offer in our country. In Tasmania, winter is the best kept secret and it’s exciting to see the impact of this campaign in encouraging more visitors to experience it for themselves,” she said.
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