This Air France-KLM, Flying Blue campaign turns pandemic travel loss into emotional storytelling, redefining loyalty through narrative— Clapboard's Global Ad

Travel / Leisure

My 2020 Travel Project - Air France-KLM, Flying Blue | Clapboard Ad Archive

Other Travel / Leisure Campaigns

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My 2020 Travel Project - Air France-KLM, Flying Blue | Clapboard Ad Archive

My 2020 Travel Project from Air France-KLM and Flying Blue, devised by Dentsu for the travel and leisure sector, stands as a vivid case study in pandemic-era communications: a branded narrative charged with emotional relevance and built precisely for the moment when travel ambitions felt most fragile. Rooted in the lived experience of influential Flying Blue member and photographer Jonathan Bertin, who saw his dream voyage to Tokyo stalled by global border closures in Year 2021, the campaign sidesteps direct promotion in favor of a deeply human story of longing, resourcefulness, and enduring wanderlust. Instead of shelving the journey, Flying Blue invited Bertin to mobilize a network of local contacts to capture on his behalf the memories and sights he could not reach in person, with this act of vicarious exploration documented and disseminated across the loyalty program’s community—which numbers 20 million globally. The approach is unmistakably what Clapboard’s taxonomy would recognize as FORMAT#5—Exemplary Story, in which the product or service plays an indispensable role in the unfolding and resolution of the narrative itself. Here, Flying Blue transcends the usual role of a loyalty scheme, positioning itself as a facilitator not just of physical travel, but of the travel mindset—even when planes stay grounded. The campaign leverages the powerful truism that travel is equally about stories and connections as it is about ticketed miles, using Bertin’s emotional journey and the distributed act of photographic storytelling to draw members and the broader travel community into a participatory narrative. Dentsu’s work is acutely aware of wider consumer sentiment: with travel plans on hiatus across the world, aspirational communications risked becoming tone-deaf unless they addressed both disappointment and hope with authenticity. By reframing the lost trip as an opportunity to connect, create, and share remotely, the campaign elevates Flying Blue’s brand proposition above transactional value, making membership about collective experience and emotional resonance. Its immersive content format and integration across digital platforms keeps the audience at the center, inviting engagement with both the campaign’s interactive microsite and the program’s long-term narrative of exploration. The campaign earns a 67/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. In a sector where loyalty is typically measured in segments and upgrades, My 2020 Travel Project signals to the industry the value of treating brand communities as story audiences, especially when external constraints make real-world experience impossible.

Credits

Client

Air France-KLM, Flying Blue

Agency

Dentsu, Isobar France, Paris, France

Account Management

Cécile Bitoun, Marine Litras

Creative Director

Marc Badinand, Thibaud Le Juge De Segrais

Copywriter

Damien Lebreuilly

Art Director

Allan Huon

Director

Florent Hill

Project Manager

Inès Ait Idir

Category Mind Map

48%

The campaign “My 2020 Travel Project” by Air France-KLM and Flying Blue leverages the emotional value of travel to reinforce the brands’ proposition as enablers of meaningful, transformative journeys—even amid unprecedented global restrictions. By spotlighting the loyalty program’s capacity to personalize travel experiences, the campaign promises that the desire to explore and connect with the world transcends physical limitations. It positions Flying Blue not just as a rewards program but as a facilitator of authentic stories and enduring memories, fostering a deeper emotional bond with its 20 million-strong membership. Strategically, the campaign taps into the shared frustration and yearning caused by the COVID-19 travel freeze, turning a moment of collective standstill into an outcome of creative resilience and hope. The narrative centers on a passionate Flying Blue member, photographer Jonathan Bertin, who, despite closed borders, realizes his Tokyo dream through an innovative approach—sending cameras to capture what he couldn’t experience firsthand. This storytelling angle humanizes the brand, emphasizing empathy and adaptability, while activating the influential power of user-generated content. By inviting the audience to engage with Jonathan’s journey, the campaign connects on a deeper emotional level, appealing to travel enthusiasts who value experience and aspiration over mere transportation. The use of multiple digital touchpoints, including video and a dedicated website, supports a cohesive content-driven engagement designed to sustain interest and loyalty in a disrupted market environment.

FORMAT#5 EXEMPLARY STORY — Tells a story where the product plays a vital role in the plot or resolution. This campaign centers on the narrative of Jonathan Bertin, a Flying Blue member, who finds a creative way to pursue his dream trip to Tokyo despite pandemic-imposed travel restrictions. The story follows his emotional and inventive journey with Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue program facilitating and documenting the experience. The narrative arc, personal focus, emotional engagement, and brand’s decisive role in enabling this unique trip—turning a lost year into an extraordinary memory—clearly establish this as an exemplary, story-driven campaign where the brand’s product is instrumental to the story’s resolution. ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats

1. Lufthansa – Positioned as a premium European airline, Lufthansa emphasizes reliability, extensive global connectivity, and superior service quality. Their focus on technological innovation and sustainability appeals to business travelers and environmentally conscious customers. 2. British Airways – Known for blending traditional British hospitality with modern luxury, British Airways targets both business and leisure passengers by offering a strong global network, premium cabin experiences, and a robust loyalty program. 3. Ryanair – As a low-cost carrier, Ryanair differentiates itself with ultra-affordable fares, a no-frills service model, and a focus on short-haul routes across Europe, attracting price-sensitive travelers seeking value and convenience. 4. easyJet – Competing on cost-efficiency and customer-centric digital innovations, easyJet offers a user-friendly booking experience combined with frequent flights across major European cities, targeting budget-conscious leisure travelers. 5. Emirates – Emirates leverages its luxury positioning, exceptional in-flight service, and extensive long-haul network through Dubai. The airline appeals to premium travelers seeking comfort, exclusivity, and seamless global connectivity.

Q: What is My 2020 Travel Project about? A: My 2020 Travel Project is a content campaign launched in 2021 by Air France-KLM and its Flying Blue loyalty programme, created by the agency Dentsu for the French market. The campaign centers on photographer and Flying Blue member Jonathan Bertin, who was unable to make his dream trip to Tokyo due to pandemic travel restrictions. Instead, he sent cameras to contacts in Tokyo to capture the journey he could not take himself, with the resulting story shared across Flying Blue’s 20 million-member community. The campaign explores the enduring emotional power of travel and the ways memories and aspirations persist even when physical journeys are impossible. Q: What creative device does My 2020 Travel Project use? A: My 2020 Travel Project employs the Exemplary Story format, classified as FORMAT#5 in Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. This approach tells a real-life narrative where the Flying Blue loyalty programme plays a pivotal role in resolving the protagonist’s challenge. By following Jonathan Bertin’s imaginative workaround to a cancelled trip, the campaign transforms a lost opportunity into a shared, emotionally resonant story. The brand is not just a backdrop but an active catalyst, enabling the journey to unfold in a new way and inviting the audience to connect with the experience through authentic storytelling. Q: What is the campaign proposition for My 2020 Travel Project? A: The strategic proposition of My 2020 Travel Project is that travel remains an essential, transformative experience, even when physical movement is restricted. Air France-KLM and Flying Blue position themselves as empathetic companions to their community, highlighting that the value of travel lies in the memories, emotions, and aspirations it creates. By focusing on a real member’s story and leveraging digital storytelling, the campaign speaks to those whose travel plans were interrupted, reinforcing the loyalty programme’s role as a source of support and inspiration during uncertain times within the travel and leisure market. Q: How does My 2020 Travel Project rank in Clapboard's archive? A: My 2020 Travel Project holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 67/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, the quality of its execution, and its cultural relevance in capturing the spirit of travel during a period of global disruption. Q: Who are the competitors in Air France-KLM, Flying Blue's category? A: In the competitive landscape of European and global airlines, Lufthansa positions itself as a premium carrier focused on quality, reliability, and connectivity, while British Airways leverages its legacy and British heritage to appeal to travelers seeking superior service and global reach. Turkish Airlines differentiates through its expansive route network bridging continents, Emirates is known for luxury and innovation targeting premium travelers, and easyJet stands out as a value-driven low-cost carrier prioritizing affordability and convenience for European leisure travelers.