To launch the new 787 Dreamliner for Virgin we staged the world’s first livestreamed gig from 35,000 feet in the air on the brand’s inaugural flight from London to Atlanta, highlighting the sophisticated Wi- Fi capabilities on board and attracting a younger audience to the brand.

UK superstars Rudimental and Gorgon City played back-to-back sets to an in-flight audience of competition winners and press. DJ Locksmith took to the on-board PA system to get everyone dancing in their seats. As a finale, both bands walked the length of the plane accompanied by trumpet players and live vocalists as guests sang along.

The performances were streamed live to Virgin Atlantic’s #flightDecks website which received 50,000 visits from 131 countries on the night of the gig. The two acts then went on to perform at a private event for the airline in Atlanta with Richard Branson. The event garnered 185 pieces of global press coverage and #Flightdecks trended organically on Twitter as a result.

We announced the #flightdecks activity with a teaser film and photo-call featuring our artists alongside Virgin Atlantic staff. This provided content in the form of shareable video, imagery and a news release. It was launched through the bands’ and brand’s PR and social media channels, inviting fans to apply for a seat on the once-in-a-lifetime flight.

Onboard, the DJ sets were streamed live to the ground via platform Mixlr, with imagery and video of the gigs in action shared via the brand and bands’ social channels.

On arrival in Atlanta, winners and guests were greeted by Richard Branson at a VIP party.

Due to the ambitious nature of the campaign, our plans were constantly evolving. The team ran a series of teat flights with Virgin Atlantic and audio engineers to ensure every piece of technology would work seamlessly and deliver a truly authentic experience.

#flightdecks changed the conversation:

-#flightdecks trended organically on Twitter

-Prior to the #flightdecks activity, 0% of online conversations linked ‘787’ with ‘Virgin Atlantic’. Post-event, this stat shot up to 34%.

We drove eyeballs:

-50,000 visits to microsite

-2,500 people entered the competition

-Visitors to the site came from 131 different countries

-Exceeded content views KPIs by 224%

-185 pieced of earned media coverage, including Mail Online, Huffington Post, BBC News Online, Sunday Times Style and The Sun