This 'Everyone can take on the world' purpose was adopted not only by Virgin Atlantic but across the entire Virgin Group, influencing decision-making at every level of the organization—from pricing and economic policies to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), staff uniforms, and destination strategies. The partnership also led to the production of a groundbreaking LIVE TV ad campaign, shot in 20 destinations around the world. This reestablished Virgin Atlantic as the most loved airline of the modern era, reflecting its values of inclusivity, adventure, and boldness.

CHALLENGE: Reinvigorate a legacy brand

As a well-established and much-loved brand, Virgin Atlantic needed to reinvigorate its identity to stay relevant in a rapidly changing global travel landscape. Richard's challenges included:

• Reinvigorating a Legacy Brand: While Virgin Atlantic was recognized for its innovation and style, the brand needed a fresh purpose to connect with new generations of travelers and remain a leader in the competitive airline industry.

• Aligning Brand with Group-Wide Vision: The new strategy had to unify Virgin Atlantic’s goals with the broader Virgin Group’s vision, creating a sense of purpose that would be embraced across multiple business units.

• Reflecting Modern Values: The brand needed to align with evolving values around inclusivity, diversity, and equity, ensuring Virgin’s relevance as a modern, socially conscious airline.

• Global Campaign Execution: The launch of the new brand purpose required a high-impact global advertising campaign that would resonate emotionally with audiences across the world.
  
  

CHALLENGE: Reshape the airline's identity and global positioning

Pay Close Attention led the development and execution of a transformative brand strategy for Virgin Atlantic, centered around a purpose-driven narrative that reshaped the airline's identity and global positioning.

1. Brand Strategy and Purpose

Pay Close Attention’s central task was to create a new brand purpose that would galvanize both internal teams and customers worldwide. This came to life through the purpose statement, "Everyone can take on the world," which spoke to Virgin Atlantic’s core ethos of empowerment, adventure, and inclusivity.

• Unified Purpose: The new purpose became a unifying force for decision-making across Virgin Atlantic and the wider Virgin Group, influencing everything from day-to-day operational decisions to high-level corporate strategies.

• Purpose-Driven Policies: Pay Close Attention worked with Virgin leadership to ensure that the new purpose was reflected in critical areas like economic policies, pricing strategies, DEI initiatives, and even the airline’s approach to economic impact in its destination markets.

• Modernized Brand Identity: The refreshed brand strategy embraced Virgin’s legacy of boldness while pushing the boundaries further, positioning the airline as a forward-thinking, inclusive leader in the travel industry.

2. LIVE Global Advertising Campaign

To introduce the new brand purpose to the world, Pay Close Attention conceptualized and produced a LIVE TV ad campaign that embodied the spirit of "Everyone can take on the world.". The work won multiple awards including Marketing Week's Campaign of the Year.

• Global Reach: Shot across 20 iconic destinations around the globe, the LIVE ad campaign showcased Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and the adventurous spirit of modern travel.

• Authentic Storytelling: Each location in the campaign was chosen to highlight different aspects of Virgin Atlantic’s new brand story—whether it was bustling urban centers, serene natural landscapes, or culturally rich destinations.

• Real-Time Impact: The LIVE element of the campaign created a sense of urgency and authenticity, making viewers feel connected to the experience in real-time and further emphasizing the global reach and accessibility of Virgin Atlantic.

3. Group-Wide Adoption

One of the key outcomes of the partnership was the adoption of "Everyone can take on the world" as a guiding principle across the entire Virgin Group:

• Operational Alignment: This purpose became central to decision-making processes throughout the company, from route planning to customer experience design. It influenced Virgin Atlantic’s pricing structures, ensuring that travel was accessible to a broader range of customers while maintaining premium service.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Virgin Atlantic’s DEI policies were aligned with this new purpose, reinforcing the airline’s commitment to inclusivity, from cabin crew uniforms to hiring practices. This included updating staff uniforms to reflect a more modern, gender-neutral approach, empowering employees to express their individuality.

  
  

RESULTS

The reimagined brand strategy and purpose had a profound effect on Virgin Atlantic, revitalizing the airline for a new era of travel:

• Reestablished as the Most Loved Airline: Virgin Atlantic regained its status as the most loved airline of the 21st century, with the brand’s new purpose resonating with both loyal customers and new audiences.

• Global Brand Cohesion: The adoption of "Everyone can take on the world" as a central purpose across the Virgin Group created a cohesive narrative that unified the airline’s various business arms under one inspiring vision.

• Successful Advertising Campaign: The LIVE TV ad campaign was a major success, capturing the imagination of viewers around the world and solidifying Virgin Atlantic’s reputation for innovation and adventure. The campaign helped reposition Virgin as not only an airline but as a brand synonymous with bold, meaningful travel experiences.

• Internal and External Impact: Internally, the new brand purpose drove positive cultural change, with employees embracing the more inclusive and empowering policies. Externally, it strengthened Virgin Atlantic’s appeal to travelers who value both adventurous travel and socially responsible brands.

CONCLUSION

Pay Close Attention’s collaboration with Virgin Atlantic highlights the power of purpose-driven brand strategy in reshaping a global leader for the modern era. By introducing "Everyone can take on the world" as the new rallying cry for the airline, Pay Close Attention ensured that Virgin Atlantic could connect with a diverse, adventurous, and socially conscious audience. The global LIVE ad campaign, combined with policy changes reflecting inclusivity and equity, reestablished Virgin Atlantic as the most loved airline of the 21st century and created a unified brand identity that will carry it into the future with confidence.

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