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Airlines have had many famous brand ambassadors over the years. Carriers have enlisted the aid of A-list Hollywood stars and world-class football players for marketing campaigns and collaborations. Emirates has previously teamed up with celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Chris Hemsworth, and Jeremy Clarkson. This time, the airline has gone for someone a little more... feathery.

Under the campaign slogan "Fly Better," CGI animated Gerry the Goose leaves his migrating flock to journey instead aboard one of Emirates' Airbus A380 aircraft. His brethren are in "fowl humor" (nice one, Emirates) as they have a long and tiring flight by wing, while Gerry is smugly enjoying the award-winning in-flight entertainment on board.

The ad will run in 25 countries for one month, beginning on August 30. Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand at Emirates, Richard Billington, commented on the somewhat unusual casting for brand representation,

"In terms of the qualities and profile we look for in our brand ambassadors – we are spreading our wings. Gerry is a savvy traveller who knows what he wants and where he wants to go- but he’s adamant he’ll do it in style, with luxury and comfort as a priority. Having witnessed his seamless travel experience, we are confident that next time his friends will choose to Fly Better."

It is unclear how human co-passengers would appreciate having a whole flock of geese in the neighboring rows. Somewhat of a different proposition than bumping into Thor in the aisle.

London's Untold Studios for CGI

As for the campaign ad itself, the CGI (Computer-Generated Imaging) was performed by Untold Studios in London. The process, along with shooting actual scenes on one of Emirates' A380s in Dubai and animating Gerry's less well-traveling companions, took a total of 14 weeks. We are guessing there was no entire production of ‘The Goose, The Bad and The Ugly,’ which Gerry can be seen settling in to check out while his friends are flapping past outside.

Canada Geese

As an added bit of trivia, Gerry is of the species Canada goose (Branta canadensis). These are large wild geese with black heads and necks, white cheeks, white under the chin, and a brown body. According to National Geographic, they can fly an astonishing 2414 km (1303NM) in just 24 hours. The Airbus A380 has a range of close to 15,400 km (8,315NM), so Gerry can also reach his destination a little faster.

The birds live in every province in Canada and state in the continental US and have successfully settled (as an invasive species) in Europe and New Zealand. With the warmer winters, the birds migrate less across the Atlantic and have been drawn to urban areas offering plenty of food and a lack of natural predators.

What do you think of Emirates' latest brand campaign? Does Gerry the Goose entice you to choose the airline to 'Fly Better', or would you have preferred the carrier to team up with a real-life celebrity again? Do you have a favorite airline campaign that you recall? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

Source: National Geographic