In a globalized world, the questions of identity and belonging become more and more complex. Heimweh, a German term, stands for longing for the place one calls home, for the deep yearning to go (back) to where one feels at home.

The #inspiredby Heimweh series is rooted in this sentiment of belonging. Rather than portray travel as a manner of getting from point A to point B, it shows how the places we are connected to shape us and thus how travel to these places becomes a part of our personality. The protagonists of both films, the Denmark-based Inoue brothers and the NYC-based jeweler Arpana Rayamajhi, return to Japan and Nepal, respectively, discovering what it means to re-discover home. Looking over their shoulders in such an authentic manner opens our eyes to the transformative effect such a journey can have.

The two films to open the series were both shot on location, the first in Kagoshima, Japan, and the second in Nepal. Both were produced by small, documentary-style crews closely involving the respective protagonists. The series is ongoing.

The films were broadcast in full or in part on Lufthansa’s social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Tumblr) in October 2016 und February 2017, respectively. The campaigns accompanying the films, each lasting a month and containing over 500 photographs, short film clips/GIFs and other material, had a reach of approximately 128 million. The campaign was reported on over 1,000 times in external media and was widely praised for its innovative approach.

The #inspiredby Heimweh series was extremely successful and received much positive feedback from the target group. Overall, both films had a total of almost 25 million views, making them two of Lufthansa’s most successful short films. As stated above, the campaigns accompanying the films reached approximately 128 million users so far, receiving 1.7 million interactions across all channels. The emotional approach chosen in the films proved to the hugely successful, drawing fans into a whole new world of travel.