Sync Watch: Virgin calls on INXS as it returns to the skies

INXS’ 1985 song ‘What You Need’ from Listen Like Thieves is being used by Virgin Australia to try to get Australians excited and inspired about flying with the embattled brand again.

The ad stars 12-year-old Melburnian Annie Jones who competed in this year’s season of America’s Got Talent. She performed Tones and I’s ‘Dance Monkey’ in her first on-screen audition and made it to the quarter finals.

Jones roams the airport solo, dancing and enjoying its eerie emptiness before viewers see she is indeed about to travel again.

The campaign’s tag line is “You Can’t Keep A Good Thing Down”.

“’You Can’t Keep A Good Thing Down’ has two meanings– it’s not only a nod to Virgin Australia looking to the future but it’s also about giving travellers confidence that after a period of uncertainty, the Virgin Australia they know and love is up there flying again, and here to stay,” said the brand’s general manager of brand and marketing, Michael Nearhos.

“As state and territory borders safely reopen and more Australians consider traveling, we wanted to show them how they’ll feel to finally enter the airport again to go on that holiday they’ve been dreaming of, to conduct business or to reunite with family and friends, and this campaign certainly captures that.”

He said Jones was the perfect fit for the campaign’s look, feel and sound.

“Annie has got this amazing, vibrant, and warm personality and an infectious zest for life which is a really great fit for our brand and we know Australians will fall in love with her just like we did,” he added.

The campaign was created by CHE Proximity. Chief creative officer Ant White said it’s a tribute to Virgin’s fighting spirit and kicks off their next chapter of success.

“It was really important for us to remind people of the joys of flying. Annie’s ‘good thing’ dance interprets the happy feeling we all experience just before we board a plane. Thankfully, we’ll all get to enjoy it for real with state and territory borders safely reopening soon,” he said.

Virgin Australia was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating its financial issues.

This is the brand’s first major marketing activity ahead of its official sale to Bain Capital on Tuesday, November 17, after being placed in voluntary administration in April.

Campaign credits: 

Virgin Australia
Michael Nearhos, General Manager Brand & Marketing
Dean Chadwick, Acting Chief Marketing and Loyalty Officer
Rapthi Thanapalasingam, Head of Brand, Consumer & Media
Erina Chapman, Brand Communications and Governance Leader
Alexandra Davey, Brand Marketing Specialist

CHE Proximity
Ant White, Chief Creative Officer
Holly Alexander, Director, Strategic Production
Ashley Wilding, Creative Director
Daniel Davison, Creative Director
Cameron Dowsett, Senior Copywriter
Mark Tallis, Senior Art Director
Fee Millist, Senior Copywriter
Cass Jam, Senior Art Director
Darren Cole, Head of Design
Vanessa Saporito, Senior Designer
Caitlin Perz, Production Assistant
Reece Lawson, Digital Design Lead
David Halter, Chief Strategy Officer
Lorraine Gormley, Client Partner
George Robertson, Senior Account Director
Production Company: Revolver
Michael Ritchie, Managing Director/Co-Owner/Producer
Pip Smart, Executive Producer/Partner
Matt Devine, Director
Lachlan Milne, Director of Photography
Neven Connolly & Cass Merwood, Chorerographers

Post Production : ARC Edit
Dan Lee, Editor
Ben Eagleton, Colourist
Daniel Fry, Executive Producer

Sound Post: Sonar Music
Timothy Bridge, Sound Designer
Sophie Haydon, Executive Producer

Music Supervisor: Anton, Trailer Media

PHD
Noel Gate – Group Business Director
Erin Hudson – Business Director
Stefan Boden – Group Trading Director
Monique Gilbert – Activations Account Director
Dylan Long – Account Executive