FirstLight.
The first flight from a new hub, filmed through the eyes of the people who get it off the ground.
The challenge
Kestrel was opening a second hub in a city where nobody knew the airline. Window Seat had made the brand about calm; the new route needed a reason for a whole region to care.
The idea
Every first flight starts before sunrise with people nobody films. First Light tells the story of the 05:40 departure from the ground: the fuellers, caterers, dispatchers and pilots who get it off the ground at first light.
What we made.
A three-minute film shot over one night and morning on the new apron, cast entirely with Kestrel staff. Cut-downs for every crew role. Outdoor posters at the new hub with each crew member's start time. A route launch page with live first departures.
- Three-minute film
- Crew cut-downs
- Hub OOH
- Route launch page
- Staff toolkit
Made for the feed.
Cut vertical first, for the platforms where Kestrel Air actually gets watched.
- ReelsReels · 2.1M views
- ShortsShorts · 1.3M views
- TikTokTikTok · 760k views
The result
The film was watched to the end 2.6 million times and bookings from the new hub ran 24% ahead of plan. 91% of Kestrel staff shared it in the first week, and it is now part of every new joiner's first day.
“Our people finally saw themselves in the brand, and so did the city.”
