SERVICEPLAN GERMANY

Founded in 1970 as a classic advertising agency, the Serviceplan Group is Europe’s largest owner- and partner-managed agency group, uniting all communication disciplines under one roof. With its 360-degree campaign for Lufthansa, Serviceplan once again underlines its commitment to excellent and emotional communication. At the heart of the campaign is an image film that transports the viewer into a daydream by focusing entirely on the protagonist. In perfect harmony with the sound design, the film evokes an almost cinematic experience that breaks with familiar patterns in the airline industry. At a rapid pace, the viewer experiences how easy it is to realise their own travel dreams: “All it takes is a Yes”.

Interview with Erick Barrios Hernández

Red Dot: What task did Lufthansa approach you with?

Lufthansa came to us with a simple but powerful challenge: to get people to finally book the dream trip they’d been putting off. We wanted to reignite the excitement of travelling – the feeling that travel isn’t just a break from everyday life, but a conscious decision: “All it takes is a Yes ”.

The result was the comprehensive 360-degree campaign “All it takes is a Yes”. Was the film at the heart of it?

Absolutely. The film was the emotional centrepiece. It set the tone for everything else. While stills translated well in digital and social media, it was the moving images that really made people feel something – not through facts but through emotion. Since the story had to work across Europe and the Americas, we kept dialogue minimal – just visuals, sound and feeling.

You focus on the protagonist and her desired destinations. What considerations formed the basis for the script?

From the start, we didn’t want the usual travel narrative. No bucket lists. No wide shots of planes in the sky. Instead, we focused on what it feels like to finally do something for yourself. The Lufthansa app became our trigger. As the protagonist types in her dream destinations, the world around her shifts. One moment she’s in a café on her phone, the next in a dumpling shop in Shanghai or on a beach outside of Rio de Janeiro. It’s fast, emotional and slightly surreal. And in the end, we see her on a plane. She’s not imagining it. She already said yes.

How was this idea implemented in practice?

Most airline ads lean into scenic landscapes to show their network of routes. We did the opposite. Lufthansa agreed to have the camera stay unusually close to the protagonist as she was magically transported from world to world, with just the tap of a button. The edit was fast and dynamic, shifting between crisp detail and dreamlike motion. Sound design and music blended into her emotional state. Inspired by magic realism, we wanted it to feel like a daydream. That’s where the film shines. It lets you feel the story, not just follow it.

Are moving images the most emotive medium today anyway?

They’re definitely one of the most powerful tools to evoke emotion. But I also believe the craft needs to support the story.