This series of inserts are brilliant. From a branding point of view they are powerful stuff. I always felt Virgin was positioning themselves as a "fun," "hip" or a "quirky" company. Initially, if I was in the planning meetings, I might not have thought this was a good positioning platform, but in hindsight I would have been wrong.

Lets think for a few minutes about how I view other international carriers. Outside of JetBlue and Southwest (they don’t fly internationally) I think of "bankruptcy" or "government bail out" when I hear TWA, United, or Delta. All US brands BTW. When I think of British Airways I envision tea and crumpets. Swiss International equals efficiency. Singapore Airlines, anal and expensive.   

So I guess a "hip" image isn’t that bad of an idea. Now to the insert. Visually they are appealing. But the bi-lingual copy is what makes them special. Playing off the diagram on the front, some of the copy includes:

Choose Seat Carefully in Advance

Always be mindful of Seat-to-Bar Distance (SBD) when booking your Virgin Atlantic flight. For those making frequent bar trips, Seat-to-Lavatory Distance (SLD) is an equally important consideration.

Plan Your Drink Order to Maximize Efficiency

A well-rehearsed drink order can save you valuable time that can be spent socializing with fellow bar patrons. Order clearly and confidently to avoid miscommunication.

Utilizing Turbulence

Always keep an extra cup at your Upper Class Suite. In the event of turbulence, place the extra cup upside down over your drink, using the turbulence as a cocktail shaker.

I’ve always wanted to fly on Virgin, but now I really want to. You can see more of this campaign by clicking here.