What is #TillWeFlyAgain about?

#TillWeFlyAgain is a digital campaign launched by Cathay Pacific in China in 2020, created in partnership with Leo Burnett. Conceived during the height of global travel restrictions, the campaign invites audiences to let their imagination take flight and discover the wonders of the world from home. Through evocative storytelling and a single media asset, #TillWeFlyAgain sustains the emotional connection between travelers and the broader world, positioning Cathay Pacific as a brand that nurtures hope and anticipation for future journeys, even when physical travel is not possible.

What creative device does #TillWeFlyAgain use?

#TillWeFlyAgain employs FORMAT#9 SYMBOLIZE THE BENEFIT, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. The campaign uses symbolic imagery and metaphorical language to represent the uplifting experience of flight and exploration, even while audiences are grounded. Rather than showcasing literal travel, it conjures the emotional benefits of adventure and discovery through the line let your imagination take flight and visuals that evoke the spirit of travel, aligning closely with the symbolic approach defined in Clapboard’s classification system.

What is the campaign proposition for #TillWeFlyAgain?

The campaign proposition for #TillWeFlyAgain centers on maintaining the emotional bond between travelers and the world’s wonders during a period of unprecedented disruption in the travel sector. Cathay Pacific addresses an audience confined at home but eager to dream of future journeys, positioning itself as a facilitator of escapism and hope. By encouraging viewers to explore global destinations imaginatively, the brand fosters empathy and shared experience, preserving consumer interest and reinforcing its promise of eventual reunion with the world once travel resumes.

How does #TillWeFlyAgain rank in Clapboard's archive?

#TillWeFlyAgain holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 67/100. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as evaluated by Clapboard’s global ad archive.

Who are the competitors in Cathay Pacific's category?

In the airline and travel sector, Cathay Pacific competes with Air China, which emphasizes reliability and a premium, government-backed presence; China Eastern Airlines, known for its affordability and broad route coverage appealing to both budget and mid-tier travelers; China Southern Airlines, which differentiates through domestic dominance, service innovation, and extensive connectivity; Singapore Airlines, globally recognized for luxury and exemplary service targeting discerning long-haul travelers; and Emirates, which leverages its Dubai hub to offer high-end amenities and seamless international access for premium and transit passengers.

This Cathay Pacific campaign transforms lockdown longing into imaginative escapism, symbolizing hope through metaphorical storytelling— Clapboard's Global Ad

Home >

Archive >

Travel / Leisure

#TillWeFlyAgain - Cathay Pacific | Clapboard Ad Archive

Other Travel / Leisure Campaigns

DISCLAIMER:

Description

Cathay Pacific’s #TillWeFlyAgain campaign, developed by Leo Burnett in 2020, signaled a decisive shift in travel marketing as the global pandemic upended the airline and leisure landscape, prompting a reimagining of the brand’s emotional contract with its audience. Positioned squarely within China’s market and executed as a digital-first initiative, the work speaks to the stilled mobility of consumers confronted by lockdowns, inviting them to discover the wonders of the world through the lens of imagination and the everyday details surrounding them at home. Rather than relying on conventional service messaging or footage of bustling airports, Cathay Pacific and Leo Burnett leaned into metaphor and symbolism — what Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#9—Symbolize the Benefit — using motifs of flight and exploration as stand-ins for the emotional uplift of travel, even as planes remained grounded. The campaign’s narrative cues, delivered in resonant traditional Chinese, reshape the isolation of 2020 into an opportunity for psychological escape, encouraging a community tethered to their screens to transform longing into creative inspiration. For a carrier with a storied international reputation and premium positioning, this pivot is as much a statement of resilience as it is a play for continued brand affinity, ensuring that the airline is remembered as a facilitator of hope rather than a casualty of circumstance during a period of logistical paralysis. The digital execution, centered on a singular but evocative media asset, underscores the strategic choice to embed the message directly into the online lives of a homebound population, further cementing cultural relevance with messaging that balances gentle nostalgia and the assurance of future reunions with far-flung destinations. The campaign earns 67/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. In a category typically defined by tangible experiences and promises of physical journeys, #TillWeFlyAgain stands as proof that a brand’s most powerful resource in times of crisis is the ability to inspire anticipation and communal optimism when travel itself is suspended.