PATA award for Grant McCann and SriLankan

It began with a conversation about teleportation. “Machan, what if you could sit at home, push a button and wake up in Paris?” It led to one of 2006’s most memorable ad campaigns and a Gold award for marketing at the Pacific Asia Travel Awards this year.

This year marks the first time a Sri Lankan agency has won Gold at the PATA awards and Grant McCann Erickson Sri Lanka has not only brought glory and recognition to their Agency but the local Advertising Industry when they brought home this Gold.

Grant McCann-Erickson’s idea for SriLankan Airlines was a logical one. What other airline could make a Sri Lankan feel truly at home? What other airline offers Sri Lankans home-made food, home-grown entertainment and local hospitality.

From a consumer’s point of view, the idea of staying at home and travelling the world was a seductive one.

The idea led the Grants creative team to construct a simple story of a Sri Lankan man enjoying an afternoon at home, lounging on a Haansi putuwa, eating kiribath, drinking plain tea, watching cricket and waking up to find himself in Paris.

What began as a simple TV idea ended up becoming a strong campaign thought after extensive research by the Client. The agency created the campaign on what was proved to be popular among Sri Lankans from all demographics.

It led to radio spots on popular singer Amaradeva flying over Paris to billboards of a man relaxing in a living room that looks like an aero plane - or rather an aero plane that looks like a living room!

“We are honoured to receive this accolade. It is a testament to the efforts and creativity of the team at GME who worked with us to come up with a campaign that was based on the insight; Sri Lankans, wherever they are, yearn for simple things that remind them of home.

This campaign portrays SriLankan Airlines as the carrier that understands Sri Lankans and has been developed on par with the highest standards.

The concept has allowed us to compete with other international airlines and come out on top by promoting our values internationally”, Manager, Advertising - Sri Lankan Airlines Priya Epitawela said. Attention to detail was supreme in the meticulously constructed set and in the haunting SriLankan Airlines melody, commissioned especially for this campaign.

“For SriLankan Airlines to win Gold, beating off competition from over 50 airlines, which include the region’s best, is a phenomenal achievement, not just for Grants and SriLankan Airlines, but for SriLankan travel and advertising as a whole,” said McCann’s Creative Art Director Russell Miranda,who also heads the Sri Lankan Creative team. Apart from Russell, the award winning creative team included some of Grant McCann’s best talents, Eranga Tennek- oon, Shehan Karunatilaka, Ravi Kathriarachchi, Shirani Saunders, Asirini Punchihewa, Aruni Abeyesundera and Shadwell Weerasinghe.