Are you a Jetrosexual?

You probably haven’t even heard the term before. But if you are, you probably have a good idea of what it means. It’s one of those words relevant only today, to the right people. In this case, the people who will spend close to 5 figures on a plane ticket.

Virgin Atlantic is going after hip and important super-connectors, and more likely, those who want access to this group, with its super-posh first class trans-Atlantic fares. It’s a great product: free limo rides to the airport, a reclining bed, and even a full bar in the sky. What’s even more remarkable is the way they’ve branded it as an exclusive VIP club at 30,000 feet. Crispin, Porter + Bogusky has done a magnificent job of connecting to this elite group with their recent Jetrosexual campaign.

CP+B has executed the link-in-the-chain web strategy almost flawlessly. They’ve found a way to reach the right consumer by advertising in affluent magazines like Business 2.0 and Newsweek. Right there amidst the two-page colorless ad of an onboard masseuse, is a red plane ticket – so authentic curiosity demands you look closer. The creative copy further filters out the wrong consumer and draws in the target with clever puns in 9pt type.

The best part is, and the reason I am including this campaign in a blog about web strategy, is how they move you to the next link in the chain. All that reading reveals the paper parody might be a real first-class ticket to London

! Right there on the ticket is a number you can enter on the website to verify its authenticity.

Disappointingly though, reading the terms exposes this is actually a drawing, and entering your number does NOT increase your chances of winning. But, by the time I had learned that, I had unknowingly moved to the next step and submitted my email address and permission to contact me. The site was so brilliant and fun, I almost couldn’t wait to hear from them again.

Take a look at the site. If you’re a Jetrosexual, I can almost guarantee that Virgin Atlantic will own a new perception in your mind when it comes to first class travel. Those who aren’t will simply think it’s frivolous – but I don’t want those people sitting next to me at the first class bar in their pajamas anyway.

Some things to consider:

Does your site speak directly to your target audience and only your target audience? Is your site primarily a chain in a link that leads to a defined action? Can you measure this action? Why not?