(RED) Partnership and the INSPI(RED) Burger

At the end of 2018, AirAsia announced a one-year partnership with (RED) in support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Asean. Utilising the various verticals of the AirAsia business, AirAsia pledged to raise funds for the Global Fund to support HIV/AIDS programmes in Asean, home to nearly 1.8 million people living with the virus.

To kick off the partnership, AirAsia hosted a launch event at the Sepang Aircraft hangers in Kuala Lumpur, bringing together industry leaders to highlight the importance of corporate responsibility. At the event, a one-of-a kind A320 livery was revealed. This plane would shuttle all over Asean, championing the partnership message.

AirAsia(RED) partnership launch video

The INSPI(RED) burger was created as one element of the AirAsia(RED) partnership; a special inflight meal in support of the fight to end AIDS. These burgers were available on all AirAsia flights (with the exception of the Indian and Japanese carriers.)

Created by New York-based (RED) Chef Ambassador Hong Thaimee, the burger drew from her Northern Thai roots to deliver a truly East-meets-West experience. It featured a chicken patty infused with fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass, topped with zesty nam prik noom mayo (green chilli mayonnaise), shredded purple cabbage and tomato on a red beetroot bun.

For every INSPI(RED) Burger sold, 10% of sales went to the Global Fund to support HIV/AIDS testing, counselling, treatment and prevention programmes in the Asean region.

The INSPI(RED) campaign launched with this hero video that was featured on the AirAsia social channels and on the (RED) platforms. With the product itself boasting Thai flavours - and with Thailand being a key market for AirAsia and wider Asean - we opted to approach this ad from a Thai lens, through language, tone and style.

Thailand is notorious for creating two forms of niche advertising; "sadvertising" – super-long, elaborate, heart-wrenching tales intend to make users weep before trying to sell you something OR going for the theatrical, where actors use simple facial expression and exaggerate it to the point of comedy. This ad, leant towards the latter.

To supplement the hero ad, a series of gifs were shared on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram. (e.g. https://www.instagram.com/p/BzxhYaLnmc4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)

*Adobe Portfolio does not allow Instagram embedded links)

To increase awareness of the burger launch on digital platforms, AirAsia hosted a mini launch event in Bangkok with Chef Hong herself, inviting regional media to help spread the word. The event was attended by food bloggers, national papers, as well as key influencers from around the region.

The burger was also featured on the front cover of AirAsia's in-flight food magazine

The full creative team behind the campaign.

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