Last week, WestJet rolled out a very special airplane, a Boeing 737 featuring images from “Frozen” on the fuselage, overhead bins, headrests and even bathroom mirrors. The Canadian airline actually launched its first Disney-themed plane two years ago. But the licensing of super brand “Frozen” takes the WestJet/Disney collaboration to another level.
While it might be the most striking example so far, “Frozen” is only the latest in a series of deals in which airlines license entertainment properties to create special planes offering branded air travel experiences:
- EVA Air debuted Hello Kitty Shining Star Jet nonstop flights to Taiwan and other locations in Asia, Paris and the U.S. on specially painted Boeing 777-300ER planes in June;
- In April, THAI Smile Airways unveiled a special Airbus A-320 airplane featuring Cartoon Network characters for flights in Thailand;
- Although there were no painted planes, this summer’s specially-branded Thomas & Friends flights on Virgin Atlantic featured in-flight “Thomas” movies and entertainment packs chock full of activity sheets, special edition collectable engines and other goodies.
Entertainment licensed-flights aren’t limited to children’s properties. In March, Universal Pictures introduced its “Fast & Furious 777” airline service, a roughly 6-month venture with UAE national airline Etihad Airways, timed to start just in advance of the Furious 7 April 3 film debut.
Click here to find out about another dimension of experiential licensing—touring shows.