“Time to go”: Air Transat campaign invites Canadians to step out of comfort zone

Air Transat launched a new promotional campaign in Canada on Tuesday (May 2) called “time to go.”

Encouraging Canadians to step out of their comfort zone, the spot shows that it is essential to travel in order to recharge one's batteries and escape the monotony of everyday life.

Developed in collaboration with creative agency Sid Lee, the campaign is built around videos featuring protagonists in their routine that has gotten too comfortable: a couple asleep in front of the TV, a man working on one of his numerous motorcycles in his garage, and a woman watering hundreds of plants in her apartment.

The brand's message is directly inspired by the habits of staying at home that many have developed in an excessive way since the pandemic.

 “Time to go is perfectly aligned with our mission, which encourages us to benefit from the transformative power of travel – openness,” said Joseph Adamo, chief sales and marketing officer at Transat. “We believe that one of the best ways to grow personally is to get out of that comfortable routine.”

“I need some adventure”

Brian Gill, creative director at Sid Lee, added that comfort zones “allow us to relax and take solace in the familiar.”

“But sooner or later, there comes a time when we want to shake things up,” Gill said. “Time to go is about that moment of realization when we say to ourselves: ‘I need some adventure,’ and there is no better way to expand our horizons than through travel.”

Rolled out in Quebec and Ontario, the campaign includes 30, 15 and six-second video ads, in addition to a radio ad.

The multiplatform campaign can also be seen in online media and on various types of billboards.

Most of these placements include a message contextualized to the location of the ad that encourages people to question their habits and comfort zone, and ultimately, the need to spice things up through travel.

Partnerships with pizzerias

The campaign also features an initiative to transpose the concept of the campaign to a concrete context of everyday life.

With the help of Eat It Up Media, a pizza box using Air Transat’s colours was developed to directly address future travellers.

When people order this comfort food at one of the 45 participating pizzerias in the Greater Toronto Area and Montreal, the box will include a question that will make them realize that it's time to go, as well as share information about the promotion along with a QR code leading to the promotion page.

Low prices to Europe & the U.S.

For the launch of its new campaign, Air Transat is offering great prices on flights to Europe and the United States.

Round-trip flights to Europe start at $799, one-way flights from Toronto to Florida start at $149, while one-way flights from Montreal to California start at $249.

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