American Airlines Touts International Service Via Sweeps
American Airlines is launching a host of regional promotions plugging its international service from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, dangling chances to win free airfare to anywhere in the world.
The airline has kicked off a 30-day sweepstakes, dubbed AA & Chicago—To the World, in which consumer can register on AA.com/totheworld. Each day of the promotion, customers will board a virtual American Airlines flight that’s traveling to a mystery destination. Entrants must guess the mystery destination by using four video and audio clues on the site.
One audio clue features recordings of international flight attendants calling out clues in English with a salutation in a language or dialect heard in the mystery city. Visitors can also view a window clue on the virtual flight’s window shade that reveals the mystery city skyline or landmark. Consumers can also watch for a headline in a virtual newspaper that features mystery city trivia and watch a video flight path that points out cities near the mystery location.
The sweepstakes is open to consumers who live in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan or Wisconsin. Consumers guess the correct mystery city from a list of 15 cities. All players will be entered into a random drawing to win one of five grand prizes, which include travel for two anywhere in the world American Airlines flies. Players also have a chance to win the daily prize of 20,0000 AAdvantage miles. The sweeps runs through Nov. 22.
To further promote its international service from the Windy City, American Airlines has taken to the streets to give Chicagoans more chances to win American Airlines airfare. Street teams dressed in internationally-themed costumes (think an Irish step dancer and a British Palace guard) will hit the streets and hand out boarding passes that will serve as game pieces to the airline’s Watch and Win game.
Through Nov. 3, teams will hit Chicago’s business districts distributing boarding passes that each feature one of American Airlines’ worldwide destinations. Some 700,000 boarding passes will be distributed as part of the event, TomWestcott, account director, Momentum Worldwide, St. Louis, the agency hired to work on the promotion, said. Game pieces will also be distributed via home delivery of the Chicago Tribune.
With game pieces in hand, consumers must look to the skies each day through Nov. 3 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to see if they their game piece matches the winning destination displayed by a 75-by-135 foot aerial billboard. If a boarding pass matches the destination, consumers will win a trip for two anywhere the airline travels. Consumers who don’t see the billboard can find the winning destination at AA.com/totheworld. Six grand-prize trips will be award.
“It’s creating some excitement and some noise,” Westcott said of the promotion. “It’s all about the international scope of service” the airline offers.
American Airlines and American Eagle offers more than 500 daily departures to more than 120 destinations from Chicago, including Tokyo, Delhi, Paris and China.
In addition, American Airlines is awarding a one-time 10% discount on AA.com of American and American Eagle flights to consumers departing from Chicago.
Online materials, radio spots and print ads support. T:m’s Chicago’s office handles ads.
