British Airways brought Harry Potter magic to the real world

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Hello Creative Souls,

Let’s be honest:
Most airline ads are forgettable.
Cue the soft piano music, families hugging, and an announcer telling you to “explore the world with comfort and ease.” And the sad part is, this could be the ad for any airline. GenAI is leading to templatization? Bruh, we’ve been doing that for years.

But… in 2013, British Airways broke the formula.
No sunsets. No smiling cabin crew.
Just a kid. On a billboard.
Pointing at actual planes in the actual sky.

And when we say actual planes and actual sky, we mean it

And suddenly, you were paying attention.

The Idea

OgilvyOne’s “Magic of Flying” campaign transformed a digital billboard in London into a living, breathing piece of wonder.

Every time a British Airways flight flew overhead, the child on the billboard would stand up, point toward the sky, and the screen would reveal:

👉 The flight number
👉 Its origin
👉 And a charming line like:
“Look, it’s flight BA475 from Barcelona.”

It was technical wizardry powered by flight tracking data, weather APIs, and a GPS-enabled billboard.

But none of that mattered to the people watching.
Because what they saw was… magic.

✅ Why This Works (And What You Can Learn)

1. It brought joy back to air travel.
Flying had become stressful, dull, or just another chore. This campaign rekindled the childlike awe of seeing a plane overhead. It reminded people of the wonder of flying — not the logistics of it.

2. It used tech invisibly.
This wasn’t a campaign about tech. It used tech to create an emotional moment. The data was silent. The feeling was loud.

3. It turned outdoor media into an experience.
Out-of-home ads are often passive. This one actively reacted to the world. It wasn’t static — it was situational. Real-time. Alive.

4. It gave a brand a soul.
British Airways could’ve said “We fly to over 200 destinations.”
Instead, they showed a kid getting excited about one.
And that made the brand feel human.

5. It didn’t shout. It whispered.
There were no call-to-actions. No booking discounts.
Just a quiet moment of wonder that did all the selling.

#AD

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🧠 Final Word:

You don’t need to say your brand is magical.
Make people feel it.

In a world saturated with shouty ads, “Magic of Flying” proves the quietest moment can be the most unforgettable — if it’s rooted in real insight and executed with care.

Because when a billboard points to the sky, and makes a grown adult stop and smile like a 6-year-old again —
you’re not just advertising.

You’re making memories.

Figment is written by Abbhinav Kastura, a writer/producer who has spent a decade making impactful internet videos and Guru Nicketan, an advertising nerd, B2B Marketer, stand-up comedian, and a film buff.