What Can We Learn From The Kulula Airline Rebranding?

You may have already seen the emails, or maybe read about the story on snopes.com. It’s true, it’s awesome and it’s something we should all take note of. First, take a look at the redesign of the Kulula planes.

As you can see, there is an honesty and a sense of humor here that is refreshing, especially in the airline industry which has become a place of paranoia, depression and increased charges on, well, everything.

But Kulula doesn’t stop at the new airline livery, which comes in many different forms (even Camo). The airline has taken this “real honesty” approach onto the planes via the stewards, stewardesses and even pilots. A few examples:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants.”

“There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane.”

As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport , a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: “Whoa, big fella. WHOA!”

“Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth.  To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don’t know how to operate one, you probably shouldn’t be out in public unsupervised.”

“In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite.”

“Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!”

Another flight attendant’s comment on a less than perfect landing: “We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing.. If you can light ‘em, you can smoke ‘em.”

And an actual, rare recording of the announcement:

What can we learn from this? Well, it shows us that making a difference in the way you treat your customers, and the way you present yourself as a company, can have a significant impact. Not just with good PR, but with genuine good feeling among the consumers. People now want to fly Kulula airlines because of the experience. When was the last time you wanted to fly United or Frontier? You just do. It’s a necessary step, like a taxi, that gets you from one place to another. But it’s usually a decision you make based on the cost of the flight and the time in the air.

Kulula is changing that. I, for one, would be willing to pay an extra $50 for a seat on this airline just to experience something more light-hearted and original. The sense of humor, and the treatment of the passengers, makes it obvious that Kulula actually gives a crap. You are a person, not a dollar sign in a cramped seat.

Bravo, Kulula. We hope this energy and enthusiasm spreads to the rest of the stagnant airlines.

There’s Always A Chance To Reinvent

Saw this today and it made us think about the many ways you can skin an advertising cat. Star Wars has been around since 1977 – that’s over 30 years. And yet, we still get fresh and amusing spins on the saga. And it reminds us all that whatever we’re working on, however long that client relationship has been, we can still find a new angle.

Image courtesy of Timmblr

Amélie Attended The TEDx Conference In Boulder

If you aren’t familiar with TED, you need to remedy that right now. TED stands for Technology, Engineering and Design, and brings together the brightest people from those fields (and more) to talk for around 15-20 minutes on a chosen subject or theme.In the case of TEDx (x = independently organized TED event), the theme was “beauty & truth.”

The event was held at the Chautauqua in Boulder. The event hall would have been great had it not been for the soaring temperatures and absolutely no A/C. That was one of two small gripes we had (Alex Bogusky dropped out too, one of our prime reasons for going).

The talks that night covered a vast array of subjects. The environment and energy conservation, music, design, education, conservation, crowdsourcing and even the inner self were all topics on the menu.

The most entertaining talk of the night was “What Makes Things Funny?” in which Peter McGraw analyzed the science of what actually makes us laugh. As it turns out, it is the overlap between the benign and the violation. Check out TED.com in future, it will be uploaded within the next month or so.

On the other side of the coin, Mike Pascoe talked about “the ultimate gift – leaving your body to science.” It wasn’t until he reached into his bag and pulled out a human heart that he really got the attention of the sweating crowd. The music from director Jonathan Spottiswoode was great, and Vienna Teng sang with a voice that rose high above the rafters of the barn.

All in all, it was a great night of learning, collaboration and fun. And thanks to Evol Burritos and Goodberry for the free food and drink that kept me from falling over. The lines for the food stretched around the building.

On a final note, please check out this inspiring Dave Eggers talk that was shown during the intermission. I’m still thinking about it.

3D Collision Billboard Revealed (And Gets News Coverage)

The months of hard work and dedication has paid off. Yesterday, Amélie Company’s 3D billboard for the Colorado State Patrol was revealed. It’s the final part of a campaign that includes traditional billboards, radio, trucks wraps and brochure.

The board simulates the crash between a car and a truck, but in a way that actually impacts the billboard itself. The crash of metal and wood will guarantee that this board, and the message, gets seen by as many people as possible.

Amélie Company 3D billboard

Amélie Company 3D billboard

Several news stations were there to pick up on the story, including 9 News. Amélie Company Creative Director Paul Suggett was there to talk to the camera crews about the making of the board and the importance of the campaign.

We must give props to the two guys who helped make this happen. First, Armando Martinez for the great retouching work and scale models. And then Bill Kinsey of Eye Candy Props for actually building this and making it look so real.

I think it’s safe to say we’re all really proud of this one here at Amélie Company.

One of several "wrapped trucks" on the highways of Colorado right now.

One of three billboard designs across the state.

Truck magnets given away free to truckers to help us carry the message across the state.

The Giving Tree

Tracy Morgan is funny even when he’s crying.