Ogilvy Helps "Cure The Wanderlust" for American Airlines and British Airways Customers

NEW YORK, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing the power of the digital space to build and expand relationships with customers, oneworld alliance members American Airlines and British Airways recently launched the Miles Millionaire contest, their first major joint promotion in the U.S. for frequent flyers of both airlines.  The campaign demonstrates their commitment to offer customers more opportunities to enjoy rewards across carriers.  

Created by OgilvyOne in New York and Durham, N.C., the campaign targets the customer that never has time to travel for leisure and culminates with the idea of "The Wanderlust: an overwhelming urge to travel for fun." Email outreach to frequent flyer program members kicked off the campaign, encouraging members to register for the Miles Millionaire Contest, which could "Cure your Wanderlust with 1 Million Miles."  Through the contest, four winners - two American Airlines AAdvantage Program members and two British Airways Executive Club members – will be offered the opportunity to receive 1 million frequent flyer miles each.

"The Wanderlust campaign provides an original way to communicate with and engage our most loyal customers while also driving new acquisitions," explained Anne Tedesco, VP Marketing, North America at British Airways.  "Also, by creating Miles Millionaires on top of a typical bonus miles promotion, we are using the campaign to set ourselves apart from our competition."

In addition to email support, the campaign is being promoted across various media channels including both airlines' websites, Facebook and Twitter pages, and YouTube channels.  The campaign's YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp_A5O96TUw) dramatizes business travellers' need for a vacation by incorporating lines such as "I've been to London, Hong Kong and Berlin. Boardrooms look about the same."

During the contest, eligible customers will receive a contest entry email where they will have the opportunity to submit an essay answering the question "If you were cured of the Wanderlust with 1 Million Miles, where would you go and what would you do there?"  Online voting by the contest entrants' social networks and the general public will then help determine which four customers will become "Miles Millionaires."

"It has never been more important to engage loyal customers in whichever channel they may be active. The Wanderlust campaign provides British Airways and American Airlines an opportunity to accomplish this through a program that creatively speaks to the customer's needs and wants," explained John McDonald, Executive Marketing Director at OgilvyOne.  "It was a true collaborative effort - the account team, marketing strategy team, creative team and analytics team partnered to create a one-of-a-kind program that would not only support current customers, but also help attract new brand loyalists to British Airways and American Airlines."

Customers with the wanderlust and those seeking 1 Million Miles simply need to enter at www.aa.com/wanderlust or www.ba.com/wanderlust.  

The Million Miles Contest began on Apr. 6, 2011.  Travel on eligible flights must be completed by Jun. 30, 2011, and the essay submission period ends Jul. 15, 2011.  Other restrictions apply.

• American Airlines and British Airways Press Release can be found at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-airlines-and-british-airways-help-cure-the-wanderlust-119323084.html
• Full terms and conditions of the campaign can be found at www.aa.com/wanderlust or www.ba.com/wanderlust  

About OgilvyOne Worldwide

OgilvyOne Worldwide is the strongest, most experienced and most highly awarded one-to-one marketing network in the world, with over 120 offices in 50 countries. It provides clients with a full range of direct, consulting and interactive services to deliver profitable customer relationships. The roster of clients is equally balanced between global clients including American Express, Cisco, IBM, Lenovo, Nestle, SAP and Unilever, and leading clients in our local markets. OgilvyOne Worldwide is a unit of Ogilvy & Mather, a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY), one of the world's largest communications services groups.

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection® serve 250 cities in 50 countries with, on average, more than 3,600 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve approximately 900 destinations with more than 9,000 daily flights to 145 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR).

About British Airways

British Airways is the UK's largest international scheduled airline. It flies its customers at convenient times to the best located airports across the world. It is one of the world's leading global premium airlines and its principal place of business is London with significant presence at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City. British Airways also operates a worldwide air cargo business, largely in conjunction with its scheduled passenger services. The airline operates one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks and, together with its codeshare and franchise partners, flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide. In 2009/10, it carried nearly 32 million passengers. British Airways is also a founding member of oneworld, the alliance of airlines around the globe, which together serves some 700 destinations, and offers the best connections. Whether customers are in the air or on the ground, British Airways takes pride in providing a full service experience. More information is available at www.ba.com.

SOURCE Ogilvy & Mather