SAS marks 80th year with new brand platform

Scandinavian Airlines has introduced a new brand platform built around the tagline "Scandinavian as Standard", timed to the carrier's 80th anniversary.

The airline said the theme will appear in its communications in both domestic and international markets going forward. According to SAS, the concept rests on the idea that the world wants more of Scandinavia, and it highlights qualities associated with the region.

Paul Verhagen, the carrier's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, said the platform reflects the view that certain values and ideas from that part of the world are worth passing on. He said it is not a claim that the region holds every answer.

SAS developed the platform with the agency Ogilvy. Advertising spans television, digital channels, outdoor sites and social media, alongside a set of images the airline published with the launch.

Johanna Gustafsson, Head of Brand at SAS, said the campaign is based on the observation that things outsiders admire about Scandinavia are often taken for granted by those who live there. She said the platform presents that idea through stories and situations drawn from the region's mindset and from the airline's own history.