Air New Zealand turned a lost Christmas present into an action movie

At the heart of Air New Zealand is its people, the airline's most distinctive asset; the campaign had to show the extreme lengths an Air New Zealander will go to for every passenger at Christmas.

A film starring real flight attendant Shanti Tucker, directed by Josh Frizzell through Reel Factory, promoted like a movie release with trailers, posters and social content; more than 30,000 customers would fly on Christmas Day alone.

Trailers, film posters and social content drove audiences to watch the film; the source gives no view counts.

For Christmas 2023, Air New Zealand and Bastion Shine made 'The Great Christmas Chase': a flight attendant notices a young passenger has left a Christmas present on the plane, then races against time through a busy airport — flying candy canes, lounge obstacles, long escalator slides and a painstakingly slow car chase — to return the lost gift.

The action-movie treatment was the point. ECD Dom Antelme said the campaign 'leans into the action movie genre, using easter eggs from iconic films to hyperbolise the suspense and physical feats'. Strategy director Ryan Jordan framed it: the airline's people are 'their most distinctive asset', whose 'unconventional way of showing care is what sets them apart'. Leanne Geraghty tied it to the real thing — more than 30,000 customers would fly on Christmas day — while star attendant Shanti Tucker played along: 'the Air New Zealand team are always here to help'.

Fitting the genre, the campaign was promoted like a film release, with trailers, film posters and social content directing people to watch. It was directed by Josh Frizzell through Reel Factory, with Dentsu on media.

Christmas airline advertising is a crowded trope-fest; an action-chase structure is a departure the airline's tradition allows.

Casting a real flight attendant makes the care message literal — the hero is the service, personified.

Action easter eggs give fans a rewatch reason, suiting a film built for digital storytelling.

The lost-present plot is a universal airport anxiety, so the exaggeration lands as affectionate rather than absurd.

Cast the actual crew as the action hero: the service promise becomes believable precisely because the stunts are obviously impossible.

The film and its trailer-and-poster rollout ran for Christmas 2023; the source reports no performance figures.