Italian airline Alitalia launched a new global brand campaign yesterday, with the aim of highlighting the Italian-ness of the airline, while positioning itself as a luxury carrier. This is a continuation of the partnership with Etihad, which has led to significant investment in various aspects of the airline, and a general re-branding.
In fact, the entire campaign has a very Etihad-vibe in terms of the production quality, the details, etc., but the theme is still quintessentially Italian.
Per the press release:
Cramer Ball, Alitalia’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Italy is the embodiment of beauty, warmth, passion, hospitality and a way of life celebrated the world over. It is an undisputed leader of style and innovative design. The Alitalia of today, as a national symbol, is imbued with the finest qualities for which this country is famous. It is with this spirit that we introduce our new global brand campaign, starting with a television commercial which presents the best of Italy and the importance that the country enjoys on the world stage.”
And it certainly does — this video makes me homesick for Italy in the worst way:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5g9Zteb1Tg
The Design Air has further details on the new Alitalia uniforms, which I think are fabulous. The colors and accessories are delightfully Italian, and I love the retro jet-era vibe. The 1960s were a great period for Italian design and fashion, and I am of course a big fan of including stylish slacks as a uniform option for the ladies.
Most importantly, they look distinctively Italian. No way are you mistaking that crew for any other airline, and there will be no question as to which airline is represented when you see these groups in an airport terminal.
We love airline videos here at OMAAT, and Alitalia is delivering those in spades today. There are ten “behind the scenes” videos detailing the “Made Of Italy” aspects of the campaign, including everything from the uniforms to the new onboard coffee selection. They’re so Italian, and a delight to watch, so we made a playlist with all of them here:
Swoon.
Alitalia already has a solid international business class product, and the investment from Etihad has gone a long way towards improving the regional and economy products. The airline has definitely suffered from a perception problem, much of which is due to the traditional cluster that has been their ground operations.
Having spent time in Italy though, I feel like there’s only so much that can be done to improve the ground situation. The Rome airport is always going to have a distinctly different approach to transit and punctuality than some other terminals, for example, so Alitalia will have to work within/around that.
It is nice to see an investment in the things the airline can control, however, and the product improvements thus far seem to be making an impact. And I think this new ad highlights that approach nicely.
What do you think of Alitalia’s new campaign? Do you love or hate the uniforms?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.