This Has To Be One of BA's Best Campaigns

You know how we are all glued to our phones these days?
Walking, scrolling, not even noticing what’s around us?

Well, British Airways did divert people the other way.

They made people stop and smile. And they made people look up at the sky.

No big discounts. No flashy slogans.

Just a little kid on a digital billboard pointing at a real plane flying overhead.

And that billboard knew which flight it was.

It was a moment, not just an ad.

Woah! What is this ad and why is it so popular?

Let's dig in!

Campaign Overview

• Campaign Name: “Look Up” Interactive Billboard

• Campaign Dates: November 2013 – Early 2014

• Industry: Aviation / Travel

• Target Audience: UK families, business travelers, and vacationers

The British Airways “Look Up” campaign was a smart and surprising campaign.

British Airways set up a giant digital billboard in Piccadilly Circus and Chiswick in London. These are busy areas with lots of people walking by.

The billboard looked normal at first. But when a British Airways plane flew over, something amazing happened. On the screen, a video of a little kid appeared.

The child would suddenly look up and point to the real airplane in the sky.

Then, words would pop up on the screen saying things like:

• That’s flight BA475 from Barcelona.

• Look up! It’s the BA423 from Madrid.

That wasn’t a trick or a pre-recorded video. The billboard used real-time flight data from ADS-B antennas, which track planes in the sky. The ad system was connected to this data.

So, every time a British Airways plane flew above, the billboard showed the exact flight and where it came from.

The magic of the campaign was that the billboard responded to real life. People walking by looked up to see if the kid on the screen was pointing at a real plane...

This idea worked so well because:

• It surprised people.

• It made flying feel exciting again.

• It reminded people how fun travel can be.

• It drove people to take pictures and share them online.

So, the campaign wasn’t just about advertising flights. It was about making people feel something, like a child looking at a plane for the first time.

Campaign Objectives

British Airways had clear goals for this campaign.

1. Get People’s Attention on the Street

London is full of ads. People walk by billboards all the time without looking. British Airways wanted to stop people in their tracks. When the kid on the screen pointed at a real plane, people couldn’t help but look up and notice. That got their attention instantly.

2. Show Off Their Global Reach

Each time a plane flew overhead, the billboard told people where it came from. That reminded everyone that British Airways flies to many exciting places. It helped people dream about travel and reminded them that British Airways could take them there.

3. Make People Feel Something

The ad wasn’t just about planes. It was about emotions. The child pointing up made people feel wonder, curiosity, and joy, like how kids feel when they see planes. This emotion helped people connect to the brand.

4. Create Buzz on Social Media

British Airways wanted people to talk about the billboard online. And they did. People took pictures, shot videos, and shared them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. That gave British Airways a lot of free attention and press coverage.

5. Show That BA is Still Innovative

Flying isn’t always exciting these days. British Airways used this ad to say they still cared about making flying magical. BA showed the public and its competitors that they are modern, creative, and ahead of the game by using technology smartly.

Results

• The campaign's official video got 33 million+ views on British Airways' YouTube channel. Within a month of its launch, the campaign was mentioned over 17,000 times on Twitter (Now X).

• The campaign's innovative nature earned it prestigious awards, like the Grand Prix at the Creative Out of Home Awards 2014 and the Top Honour at the Clear Channel Outdoor Planning Awards.

• The campaign's dedicated website, ba.com/lookup, got over 43,300 visitors.

Conclusion

The Look Up campaign worked because it made people feel something, like happiness and emotions, in the middle of their busy lives.

You don’t need a giant screen in Piccadilly Circus to pull this off.

Even a simple, smart campaign that responds to real life, like weather, events, and live data, can stop the scroll, turn heads, and build brand love.

If you are planning a campaign this year, ask yourself:

• Can we tie it to a real-time event or data stream?

• Can we make the audience feel a little joy, wonder, or surprise?

• Can we show our product in action without selling hard?

Now, your turn!

Drop your answers in the comments:

1. What’s one product that could use a “Look Up” style campaign?

2. What real-time data would you love to turn into an ad?