Cinema advertising was chosen for its unique ability to engage a captive audience, one that could be psychographically and demographically aligned by movie type. Over a period of four weeks, selected theatres were redecorated to look like the inside of an airplane. Cinema ticket stubs spoofed boarding passes. Stewardesses greeted cinema-goers as they were seated. And the pre-movie announcement was recreated in the form of a pre-flight safety video. By flying in the face of tradition, SilkAir turned an ordinary “journey” into an extraordinary one, demonstrating its service difference in a uniquely charming and cost-effective way, while exploiting cinema advertising’s distinct advantages.

The campaign was an unmitigated success with brand and business metrics outstripping set deliverables. In addition, the cinema stunt drew hype and talk value with coverage in both magazines and industry websites. While passenger numbers flattened industry-wide, SilkAir posted growth figures that exceeded its targets.