How This Canadian Airline Celebrated How One Dream Can Inspire Another

For every top athlete in the world, representing their country on the Olympic or Paralympic stage is a dream come true. Therein lies the culmination of hours of gruelling training, deep, enduring passion and the sheer willpower to make it all the way. It is a remarkable journey by any measure, and one that can be applied to every athlete we see, regardless of their flag or sport of choice.

Of course, we don’t always see the journeys of those who set athletes up for success. Sure, maybe not every parent dreams of their child reaching the pinnacle of sports performance, but most of them at least dream of a bright future, giving them a good life and giving them the best chance of success, regardless of their field. It really takes one set of dreams to make another possible.

That’s the message in Air Canada’s latest spot, “Ticket to Dream,” which the company created with FCB Toronto for the Olympic Games. Embracing its role as the official airline of Team Canada for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the brand chose to emphasize story over placement. The brand looked at two parallel stories: one of an immigrant family trying to reach Canada, and one of an athlete training to make it to the Games. It’s like two separate but intertwined storylines, each heartfelt and emotional in its own right, before the reveal that this is the story of one family: the parents and their daughter.

To learn more about what went into bringing this to life, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt spoke with John Xydous, director of brand strategy and content marketing at Air Canada, as well as the FCB Toronto team, including creative director Jeremiah McNama, associate creative directors Sara Radovanovich and Sally Fung, senior vice president of planning, Shelagh Hartford, and vice president of content lead, Ravi Singh.

LBB> Creating a campaign that links an airline to the Olympics is no easy task. What was the briefing and what ideas immediately came to mind?

John> Air Canada already plays a major role in the Olympic Games, transporting Team Canada and their equipment to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. So the connection between the two was a natural one.

But there was a broader Canadian story to tell, about dreams taken to the skies. As the national airline, Air Canada also flies Canadians around the world every day. And for customers who are new to Canada in particular, that first flight they take with us to Canada is essential to shaping and defining what that new life in Canada represents. That was the broader Canadian story we wanted to tell.

Jeremiah> We really wanted to do more than just tell people that Air Canada will fly athletes to fulfill their dreams during the Games. We wanted to remind Canadians that everyone has a dream, and whether it’s fulfilled in Canada or anywhere else in the world, Air Canada will fly you there.

LBB> Air Canada has notably been the official airline of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic teams for quite some time. Why is this so important to the brand and what does it mean to you?

John> Air Canada is proud to be the official airline of the Canadian Olympic team since 1988 and the Canadian Paralympic team since 2007. This demonstrates our deep passion for sport and our commitment to sharing the best of Canada with the world every day.

For us, the Olympic Games are an opportunity for Canada to showcase its best on the world stage, not just through our incredible athletic skills, but through our shared values ​​of integrity, honesty and care. It’s something we’re incredibly proud to be a part of.

LBB> The idea of ​​focusing on the dreams of Canadians is a beautiful sentiment. Why was this the right approach and where specifically did the idea come from to create two intertwining storylines?

Shelagh> The brief was two-fold, so we knew we had to tell two stories and find a way to authentically weave them together. After researching many Olympic stories, we realized there was something that almost every Canadian athlete shared: a dual identity that they proudly expressed as part of their Olympic journey. This was really the inspiration for the story, and how an Air Canada boarding pass would naturally fit into both.

LBB> How did the writing process go from here? How did you go about telling these stories in an authentic yet emotional way?

Sara> There was so much research that went into it. The entire FCB and Air Canada team went through immigration statistics and stories, as well as stories from real Canadian athletes, to make sure it felt authentic. Meanwhile, our production partners made sure every prop, location, and piece of clothing was spot on. The story was written and rewritten with all this attention until we came up with something that we felt was truly reflective of real Canadian dream stories.

LBB> It was great to see the Paralympic representation included in the spot! How did you ensure this was included in a tasteful way?

Ravi> Because this had to be representative of so many Canadian stories, we always had the Paralympic athletes in mind. We know that athletes often train together, so including Para athletes in the training scenes not only felt natural, but also showed their parallel dreams and spirit.

LBB> Bridging the two time periods without giving away the twist takes a lot of planning. So what did it take to weave these two stories together, creating clear parallels that lead to a strong climax?

Sally> On paper, it was about comparing the emotions of an elite athlete and someone emigrating: nerves, excitement, determination, fear, hope, etc., so that you would believe you were watching two complementary stories before the twist comes that they are actually one. But to bring that to life, it took working with an incredible director (Kevin Foley of Scouts Honour) and editor (Graham Chisholm of Nimiopere), who were with us every step of the way to make sure we achieved the vision and that every vignette was compelling and authentic.

LBB> Expanding on that, what was the production process like? Do you have any anecdotes from on set?

Sally> Our entire team was incredible. Looking back, all we can say is how professional and involved everyone was and how easy that made our job.

Jeremiah> Kevin was the perfect choice for this production in particular. His ability to capture raw emotion and tell compelling stories was a natural fit for the essence of the Olympic journey. Not to mention, his extensive sporting experience ensured that we captured the nuances and intensity of the sport authentically. We were all committed to getting every detail right.

LBB> The music is amazing! How did you find the right soundtrack for this?

Sara> Thank you! We reached out to multiple composers to create original music for this piece. We even had a few people add their own compositions to the mix because they were so inspired by the work, which was of course a huge honor. Then it was just a matter of choosing the song that gave us the biggest goosebumps, and felt like it brought to life the beauty in the struggle and triumph in both stories.

LBB> Likewise, the edit and final cut are super beautiful. What all went into bringing this aspect to life?

Sally> Kevin and Graham were the masterminds here again. The final ‘flutter cut’, as we called it, was something we discussed in production and we’re so glad we went with it because it captures so much of the story that you didn’t get to see. And Graham’s instincts are so next level that his first edit of the flutter cut was basically the final version that you see. I can’t say enough good things about our team!

LBB> What challenges did you face during this project? How did you overcome them?

Sara> Most of the challenges came from trying to be as authentic as possible. Doing a lot of research, rewriting, and rethinking what we needed to capture. It was just working with an incredible team of dedicated people who got us through it unscathed and still inspired us to make this piece the best it could be.

LBB> How have people responded to this campaign?

Ravi> The response has been incredible! As we hoped, so many people see their stories reflected in this piece, and it makes them emotional because as Canadians we are so proud of our families’ immigration stories. The Olympics are the perfect opportunity to remind us that we are a nation of dreamers.

John> The response has been incredible! Our proudest moment was when we first shared the space with our sponsored Olympians and saw how much it touched them.

LBB> Do you have a favorite scene from that shoot, or an aspect you’re most proud of?

Shelag> The moment when our athlete first steps onto the world stage and is simultaneously born in the parents’ storyline. The emotions in the birth scene and the emotions of the athlete stepping out of the darkness into the light are so beautifully reflected, and that of course leads us to the reveal of the whole scene. For us, it shows the importance and meaning of both dreams, as well as the shared spirit.

John> My favorite scene is when Dad holds the baby for the first time and his tear merges the timeline of the past with the timeline of the present.