Hollywood film star Nicole Kidman was in Abu Dhabi to launch the advertising campaign for Etihad’s new products onboard its A380s and B787 Dreamliners.
Kidman joined Etihad CEO James Hogan and COO Peter Baumgartner onstage for a press conference at the Emirates Palace hotel.
The advert was shot onboard the A380 and features The Residence and First Apartments, as well as at locations in Abu Dhabi and architectural landmarks in Europe. Also featured in the advert is a digitally created scene of Kidman at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by ‘starchitect’ Jean Nouvel and due to open later this year.
The Residence by Etihad; loungeThe Residence; bedroomThe airline’s first A380 started flying on the London-Abu Dhabi route in December. Another 10 A380s are on order, two more will be added to the route this year, and will be flown on the New York route from December. Etihad has now deployed a B787 Dreamliner on its Washington DC route, the first US service with the new cabin products.
Hogan said the ‘Flying Reimagined’ campaign came at “the right time to establish our brand position as leaders in innovation and flair,” referring to the new first, business and economy products onboard the A380s and B787s.
First Apartment This year marks 12 years of Etihad’s commercial operations, he said. “We now fly to 100 countries on six continents with more than 100 aircraft today – and another 200 on the way.”
He added that Etihad’s investment in other airlines, such as the £450 million equity partnership with Alitalia, were about “stretching the network and reducing costs collectively, and ensuring all those airlines move to profitability.” He cited recent profit reports from partners Air Seychelles and Air Serbia.
Kidman, who is a ‘brand ambassador’ for Etihad, enthused about the First Apartments and particularly the three-room Residence, where she spent many hours filming the campaign. “It’s a one-of-a-kind, it brings back a certain amount of glamour to flying,” she said. “I liken it to the Orient Express. “People who’ve seen the commercial have said to me ‘oh, it looks like a train’. And yes, it does have that glamour – that’s a huge compliment.”