Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport launches advertising campaign featuring own community

Billy Bishop Airport’s It’s My Airport campaign shares genuine, candid experiences shared by real passengers, employees and partners of Toronto’s downtown airport. (CREDIT: CNW Group/PortsToronto)

PortsToronto, owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (Billy Bishop Airport), launched It’s My Airport on 20 September 2023, a multiplatform campaign featuring genuine, candid experiences shared by real passengers, employees and partners of Toronto’s downtown airport.

With the tagline It’s My Airport, the campaign depicts actual passengers, employees and partners recounting their travel experiences and providing the reasons why they choose Billy Bishop Airport, work at the airport or partner with the airport. Participants were not paid and were not scripted.

Themes emerging from candid interviews with the passengers, staff and airport partners included the airport’s proximity to downtown, the ability to walk or bike to the airport, friendly customer service, the airport’s sustainability practices, economic impact, career opportunities and proximity to Toronto infrastructure such as hospitals.

The campaign will run for 16 weeks, with a provision to extend on certain platforms, and includes social media, print, out-of-home (OOH), and online. The digital OOH screens in the airport will also be incorporated. Advertising creative includes a QR code for people to connect and submit their own stories about why they choose Billy Bishop Airport, and those submissions will form the basis for a future campaign planned for winter 2024.

“Billy Bishop Airport is a beloved airport among travellers because it offers a unique travel experience that is based in convenience, accessibility, friendly service and incredible views,” said Deborah Wilson, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for PortsToronto, owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

“Passengers often share their stories and experiences about the advantages of flying in and out of Billy Bishop Airport and it was these stories that inspired the It’s My Airport campaign. We reached out to passengers who had posted to social media about the airport to star in our campaign and used their actual stories and posts along with quotes gathered from candid interviews. We also featured the stories and experiences of Billy Bishop Airport staff and airport partners. The people featured in this campaign were not scripted so the campaign spotlights their authentic, genuine experiences at Billy Bishop Airport, whether as a passenger or an employee.”