Flight Centre, the largest travel provider in South Africa, introduces a Southern African captain as part of the brand’s global campaign. Flight Centre will introduce a crew of diverse captains across the world, both male and female, who represent each country the brand operates in around the world, and the diverse backgrounds of its people.
Real-life pilot and Flight Centre customer, Phil Nyemba, was selected as the new Flight Centre Captain for Southern Africa.
“After 27 successful years in South Africa and a global pandemic that has wreaked havoc within the travel industry, we have jumped at the opportunity to refresh one of the most iconic and trusted travel brands in South Africa,” says Andrew Stark, Managing Director of the Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East and Africa. “Our new and refreshed look will complement our differentiated offerings for the new world of travel,” says Stark.
“We are incredibly proud to have Phil on board, a captain that resonates and aligns with our customer base,” says Sue Garrett, Flight Centre Travel Group General Manager Product and Marketing.
“My journey with Flight Centre began as a client,” says Nyemba, a pilot with over 5000 flying hours who spent 10 years as a fighter pilot in the Zimbabwean Air Force. “Promoting flying and travel through Flight Centre couldn’t be more perfect. I hope kids might see me and become inspired to become pilots one day.”
“We really wanted to showcase our team, the people at the centre of our narrative as well, so we selected some of our local team members to be our local ‘co-captains’,” says Garrett.
The global brand campaign introduces a new Flight Centre tagline: Experience our experience.
“Created by Flight Centre Australia’s creative team, the ‘There’s Nowhere We Haven’t Been’ messaging highlights the fact that Flight Centre’s network of travel experts have really been everywhere and that we have the expertise to help our customers get there too,” says Garrett.
“We knew we had a significant amount of combined travel experience but even we were astounded when we compiled the stats,” says Garrett. “In South Africa, we have a combined 818 years of travel experience and 6,000 nights at sea – at least, as that’s from less than half of our 220 Flight Centre Travel Experts across the country.
“With continual investment in smart technologies, smart people and unique content, we will drive an authentic travel experience that South Africans trust. The Flight Centre brand is again well-positioned to grow for another 27 years. Our service, value, peace of mind, expertise and price will keep many South African travellers returning to our brand again and again,” concludes Stark. “We promise to keep making travel simple, convenient, and affordable for all South Africans.”
The integrated brand campaign will launch on April 21 across Flight Centre owned assets, social media and an interactive microsite running from April 25. In a first, this campaign sees Flight Centre launch its worldwide TikTok account featuring Flight Centre employee created content.
