Air France unveils a new advertising campaign to welcome the world to France for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
An iconic symbol of France and Air France
The company is running a promotional campaign featuring a young woman wearing make-up in the colours of the French flag, accompanied by a welcome message from the 39,000 Air France staff – “proud to welcome the world to France”.
The special make-up used to create the young woman’s look is the work of Carole Lasnier, a famous French make-up artist who works with some of the biggest names in fashion. More than four hours of preparation were needed to bring to life this reworked version of the Tricolore, depicted like a flag billowing in the wind. The portrait was captured by the talented French photographer Olivier Rose, renowned for his attention to detail.
This image of a woman’s face is used by the company to symbolize France and Air France. In a nod to the allegories of Marianne and the French Republic, this young woman will welcome the world and visitors at every stage of their journey, with a message in French, English, as well as in their own language, with slogans translated into Chinese, Japanese, Brazilian Portugese, Spanish and Italian. Her image is intended as the first point of contact for visitors as soon as they arrive in the French capital, and to accompany them throughout the festivities.
This campaign will be visible from the moment they arrive at the airport, with giant displays in the passenger terminals at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly, in the airline’s lounges across France, and on billboard posters near the competition venues, in Paris and in the main cities hosting sporting events including Marseille, Lyon or Nantes. This summer, this visual will also adorn the main façade of Air France’s headquarters at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, with an advertising tarp covering more than 1,000 sq. m that will be visible from roads in the vicinity of the airport, passenger terminals and directly from taxiing aircraft on the ground.
The campaign will also be rolled out in the press and online, focusing on titles dedicated to the highlights of the Olympic Games, and international publications aimed at visitors, such as the “special Olympic Games” English-language guide published bv l’Equipe. Short videos destined for social media will be created to enhance the campaign and encourage its virality potential.
Created by Air France’s marketing agency, this new campaign supports the airline’s advertising slogan – “Elegance is a journey. Air France”. It will also be deployed within the company, for staff at the company’s various sites.
“We are committed to embodying the French art of hospitality, underpinning Air France’s raison d’être and forming an integral part of its DNA”, stated Fabien Pelous, Air France’s SVP Customer Experience. “With this campaign, we are reaching out to the world, to uphold the tradition of hospitality that our staff perpetuate every day with an unwavering focus on elegance and attention to detail. The values of openness, courage and pride that are characteristic of the Olympic discipline provide a formidable creative playground, and are perfectly in line with our brand territory. They will be the common thread running through all our communications around Air France’s partnership with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games”.
An inside look at the preparations underway for the Paris 2024 Games
In addition to this advertising campaign, Air France invites you to take a look behind the scenes with a series of videos on the preparations underway for the Games. An initial video clip describing the transport of sports equipment (kayaks, athletics poles and competition bikes) has already been published. With these videos, the company is showcasing the men and women at Air France, who will be on the frontline welcoming athletes, delegations and supporters to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. A series of videos will be progressively put online right up to the opening ceremony on 26 July, 2024.