Canadian airline WestJet surprised 250 passengers by making their “Christmas wish” come true.
Santa Claus appeared on life-size screens at boarding gates in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario and asked passengers what they wanted for Christmas, while airline staff hiding just out of sight took notes. Once the planes took off, WestJet staff rushed around to buy, wrap and label the presents. As the flights landed in Calgary a few hours later, the presents made their grand entrance on the baggage carousel.
Capturing the Christmas spirit
You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by all the raw emotion in this advert. In the first few days that the Christmas Miracle went live, it had topped 13 million views, been seen in more than 200 countries and made headlines around the world. WestJet barely had to push the ad, the community shared it for them. The video was put together well; alternately showing what WestJet staff were up to behind the scenes and the unsuspecting passengers waiting for their bags built up to the big reveal and made it feel more impactful, even though we knew what was about to happen. It’s no surprise that this feel-good video went viral.