LAN Airlines: New York - Ad Analysis
AI Editor notes
Straight from the gut!!
“It's smart and it respects my intelligence. No fluff. The 'buildings' counter is a clever way to visualize time passing and create a hook that pays off quickly. Is it the most emotionally resonant ad ever made? No. But for a performance marketing goal, it's solid. It's the kind of ad you see and think, 'Yeah, that's a fair point.'”
Quick Summary
This ad uses a simple, clever visual gag—showing a new skyscraper being built in seconds—to make a sharp point: destinations don't change fast, but flight prices do. It's a direct, no-nonsense call to action for price-sensitive travelers to book their trips well in advance.
Executive Summary
This LAN Airlines spot is a case study in strategic brevity. It doesn't waste a single frame in its pursuit of a clear, performance-oriented goal: getting people to book flights earlier. The core insight is simple and universal to travel—destinations are stable, but the price to reach them is not. Procrastination costs money.
The execution follows a classic Hook-Value-Proof-Ask structure, perfectly suited for its short runtime. The hook is the quirky visual of a New York skyscraper being constructed in seconds, complete with a digital counter. It's an absurd, attention-grabbing image that makes the viewer wonder what's going on. The ad then delivers its value proposition and proof in one swift motion. The on-screen text, "THE DESTINATIONS WON'T CHANGE MUCH IN A FEW MONTHS," validates the viewer's perception of permanence. This is immediately contrasted with the turn: "THE PRICES WILL." This line creates a rational tension, highlighting the volatility of airline pricing as the real, time-sensitive variable. The resolution is the direct ask: "BUY EARLY." It's a clean, logical conclusion to the argument presented. The final shot provides the brand and the implicit next step (lan.com).
The debrief for the team that made this would be positive. They successfully translated a purely data-driven business problem—customers waiting too long to book—into a sticky visual metaphor. The ad proves that you don't need a complex narrative or a massive budget to be effective. The key lesson is the power of a single-minded idea executed with absolute clarity. By stripping away any extraneous creative elements, the call to action becomes impossible to ignore.
Theme Keywords
Brand Position
LAN positions itself as the smart, practical airline that helps you affordably experience world-class destinations.
Brand Archetype
The Sage, offering a wise piece of advice to the traveler.
Creative Game Plan
Dramatize the financial cost of waiting to book a flight by contrasting the slow pace of a city's change with the rapid pace of price changes.
Diagnosis: Issues & Solutions
Primary Issue: Emotional Connection
The Problem:
The ad is so hyper-focused on the rational benefit of saving money that it completely ignores the emotional 'why' of travel. New York is a place of dreams, energy, and culture, but here it's reduced to a static collection of buildings. The ad fails to tap into any of the excitement that actually motivates someone to book a trip.
The Solution:
Keep the exact same structure and timeline, but replace the single, static skyline shot with a rapid-fire montage of uniquely New York experiences (a close-up of a steaming slice of pizza, a street musician's hands, the view from a skyscraper). This would add an emotional driver, reminding people *why* they want to go, thus making the urgency of 'Buy Early' feel more potent.
Secondary Issue: Brand Distinctiveness
The Problem:
While clever, the core idea isn't intrinsically linked to LAN Airlines. A competitor could easily run a similar campaign. The ad functions more as a generic category message about booking flights early than a specific statement about the LAN brand or its 'pleasure of flying' ethos.
The Solution:
Integrate a subtle brand element earlier. For example, the sound design could have incorporated a faint, pleasant chime associated with the LAN brand throughout the 'construction' phase, creating a subconscious link before the final logo reveal.
Additional Notes
Credits
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