SkyTeam Launches Global Branding Campaign to Debut New Airline Alliance; Campaign Focuses on Customer Service

SkyTeam, the new airline alliance formed by Aeromexico, Air France, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) and Korean Air, today unveiled its first global branding campaign, which will debut June 23 across Europe, the United States, Latin America and Asia. Created by EuroRSCG/BETC, the campaign features the tagline, "Caring More About You," and introduces air travelers to an alliance dedicated to providing a consistent level of performance, quality and detailed attention to customer service.

"Customer research indicated that many travelers believed there was something missing in previous airline alliances -- attention to the individual passenger," explains Eric Tong Cuong, chairman of Euro RSCG/BETC. "SkyTeam's branding campaign was designed to convey that the four partner airlines acknowledge the missing piece of the passenger experience and intend to fill it."

The Name

The development of the name SkyTeam was also an important part of the new branding campaign. The founding airlines wanted a name that would convey the alliance's dedication to passengers and define its personality. Two specialized firms provided the airlines with a dozen names. The airlines tested them with travelers who preferred the name SkyTeam, which suggests a team of airlines sharing the same vision for providing the best service to its passengers all over the world.

The Advertising Campaign Each of the print ads is designed like a puzzle missing one central piece. The ads ask, "What's missing in airline alliances?" with the response being, in varying situations, "You." The print campaign is complemented by two 15-second television commercials with the tagline "Putting you back in the picture."

"This advertising theme is simple, yet strongly visual, immediately identifiable and comprehensible anywhere in the world," explains Cuong. "The missing puzzle piece symbolizes where SkyTeam intends to focus its efforts -- on you, the passenger."

The advertising campaign will begin June 23. The TV advertising will air during the campaign's first five days. The targeted media include major national and financial daily newspapers, as well as pan-regional magazines in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia.

The Logo

Desgrippes-Gobe Agency was selected to create SkyTeam's new logo, which is intended to complement the partner airlines' corporate logos, without overshadowing them. The new logo design is round, protective and reassuring, with scrolling reminiscent of a hand-written signature to connote congenial hospitality.

The Alliance

SkyTeam's extensive worldwide network of strategically located hubs in Latin America, Europe, the United States and Asia offers travelers multiple departure time options on 6, 402 daily flights to 451 destinations in 98 countries. SkyTeam's route system covers all the major destinations in the Northern Hemisphere, where nearly 80 percent of the world's traffic flies.

SkyTeam offers more non stop destinations between the United States and Europe than any other airline grouping. The airlines' 174.3 million annual passengers also will experience a consistent level of performance, quality and detailed attention to customer service.