How Gravity Global and Embraer won ‘Best use of digital techniques or technologies’

Digital techniques have been key components in the successful global roll out of the all new E2-E195 aircraft.

Techniques adopted included: ‘tech lion’ AR experience showcasing the aircraft’s technology; animated films that received 2.2 million views; digital OOH at airports; aircraft delivery streamed live; airline customer films showcasing new routes; VR and AR experiences at air shows; website; digital display; social casts and social media.

This campaign deserved to win because these innovations stimulated record levels of engagement, positive brand sentiment and communicated the innovations of the product across every touchpoint.

Summary

• Achieved 12 new customers, 86 aircraft orders, $5 billion in order value.
• Brand mentions up 88.8% YoY totalling 939,913.
• Audience reach up 79.3% – 28.8 billion.
• Engagement up 26% YoY.
• Net sentiment +85% monthly average for Ejets – highest recorded net sentiment of all manufacturers.
• Follower base growth rate is 150% faster than competitor Airbus.
• Engagement per follower is x2 nearest competitor.
• 44% increase in ‘likes’ YoY.
• 89% increase in ‘earned’ posts YoY.
• 26% increase in comments YoY.
• Growth as a global brand measured in impressions: Americas +25%; Europe +125%; Africas +400%; Asia-Pacific +35%.

About the client company

Embraer, a Brazilian company, is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of aircraft in the 70-130 seat segment (known as regional jets), competing against Boeing, Airbus and challengers including Sukhoi and Mitsubishi.

Objectives of the campaign

• To support the global roll-out of the all new E195-E2.
• Lead the aviation headlines during Paris Airshow and beyond.
• Land the tech message with audiences in an imaginative way.
• Beat previous campaign results.
• Outperform positive brand sentiment with Boeing and Airbus.
• Increase global reach and brand awareness by maximising media opportunities across paid, owned and earned on same budget as previous year.
• Ensure prospects visit the aircraft during sales tour.

Strategy

• To create measurable impact with new creative to support the global roll-out of the all new E195-E2 aircraft, as well as achieving standout with the campaign implementation.
• Design and implement a campaign programme that will create an experience that will get talked about and create a social buzz.
• Implement an integrated campaign across events at and around air shows, viral video, VR and AR, animated OOH, print, social casts and social media.
• Gravity created personas for the audience and the aircraft. Renaming the E190-E2 and E195-E2 (not memorable) as the ‘Profit Hunter’ reflected the proposition (most efficient/profitable) and the target market’s needs (profit) – something even more relevant in the current environment.
• The ‘big idea’ was to use hand-painted predators from the natural world on nose cones to attract attention and reflect efficiency and profit making.
• The Paris Air Show held in June 2019 was chosen as the stage for the global roll out of the all new E195-E2 – famously nicknamed the Profit Hunter – Tech Lion.
• The challenge was to ‘own’ the Paris Air Show and make the campaign relevant to airlines looking to renew their fleets with next generation aircraft.
• However, competitors were claiming the E195-E2 was not a clean sheet design and therefore adopted older technology. This rumour was not the case, but it was starting to gain market traction and perceptions can be dangerous.
• As well as reflecting the predatory theme, Gravity needed to highlight the new technology on the aircraft. Gravity created experiences using AR and VR to showcase technological innovations.
• The lion was chosen because of its predatory prowess and for being known as the King of the Jungle, perfectly matched to positioning the Profit Hunter’s technology.
• The lion creative required bravery because never before had Gravity attempted to paint an entire aircraft and neither had the artist, an employee of Embraer. This was so successful customers are now asking for their own aircraft to be painted in similar styles.
• The aircraft was then to be used to create an AR experience showcasing the nose-to-tail technology.
• The idea was hugely positively received, dominating the Paris Air Show, featuring extensively in the world’s leading media, doubling the reach of the campaign and creating queues to see and be photographed with the aircraft.
• The teaser video for the Profit Hunter Tech Lion received over 1 million YouTube views.
• The follow up reveal video, featuring an animated ‘Tech Lion’ brilliantly transforming into the Profit Hunter aircraft achieved 1.2 million views, and is now Embraer’s most watched video of all time.
• Gravity also created documentary style films called ‘Incredible Journeys’, showing how the new Profit Hunter aircraft are enabling airlines in places like Kazakhstan and Brazil open up to new routes. The series so far has achieved 1.7 million views.
• Created a news TV show from the Paris Air Show called ‘Air Sights’, engaging audiences with ‘snackable’ news items broadcast on YouTube and receiving an average 50,000 views per news item.

Media, channels and techniques used

• Painting the ‘Profit Hunter’ aircraft nose-to-tail with ‘Profit Hunter Tech Lion’ livery.
• Press, online display and paid social advertising.
• Paid and organic social posts.
• Animated outdoor display at airports/events.
• Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube Communications.
• Embraer TV streamed live on social media.
• Blogs from Embraer and Aviation bloggers.
• VR experience of flying the Profit Hunter.
• AR to demonstrate the sensory technology on the aircraft.
• Produced a new market outlook report: ‘Market forecast, challenges and opportunities for the next 20 years’ (digital and print versions).
• Created a short film series: ‘Incredible Journeys.’
• Customer events.

Target audience

The c-suite, operators of 70 airlines across 50 countries in existing and new markets including leasing companies, analysts and the media.

Results

• Completely outperformed across all KPIs.
• Achieved 12 new customers and 86 aircraft orders $5 billion in order value.
• Brand mentions up 88.8% YoY, totalling 939,913.
• Audience reach up 79.3% – 28.8 billion.
• Engagement up 26% YoY.
• Net sentiment +85% monthly average for Ejets – highest recorded net sentiment of all manufacturers.
• Follower base growth rate – 150% faster than competitor Airbus.
• Engagement per follower is x2 nearest competitor.
• 44% increase in likes YoY.
• 89% increase in ‘earned’ posts YoY.
• 26% increase in comments YoY.
• Growth as a global brand with increases across all regions in impressions: Americas +25%, Europe +125%, Africas +400%, Asia-Pacific +35%.
• Three of the top five most watched videos on YouTube were published in the last 12 months.
• Teaser for Tech Lion – 1 million views.
• King of the Skies (Tech Lion) – 1.2 million views most viewed video.
• First customer film – Azul – receives 635,000 views.
• The Azul aircraft delivery ceremony was streamed on YouTube and received more than 250,000 live views – the first ever aircraft delivery to be streamed live.
• Covid pivot – Youtube video ‘For a Different World’ received 325,000 views in the first two weeks.
• Six episodes of Incredible Journeys – achieving 1.7 million video views.
• More than 25% of the viewers watched the full episode, which is remarkable when you consider they are typically over 6 minutes long.