Safe Travels - Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

Shortly after we launched new branding for the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, the COVID-19 pandemic began to drastically alter daily life in Alaska.

MSI’s new goals included demonstrating that ANC is a safe place for travelers, and we worked with the Alaska Department of Health and Human Services to achieve that goal.

We began monitoring daily research about the pandemic and related travel mandates and reviewed third-party research about the relative effectiveness of different themes to instill confidence about the safety of air travel. This research, alongside guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, was the basis for the Safe Travels campaign.

As the Safe Travels campaign strategy came together, we were guided by the objective of making ANC’s safety procedures more visible and encouraging personal responsibility for health and safety on the part of travelers. To encourage consumption and adoption, we communicated our key points in a semi-satirical “Alaskana” theme for social media channels. We also scripted and edited two videos featuring the airport manager discussing health and safety protocols and designed new signage for the airport.

Through the campaign, we realized it was often better to play “second fiddle” to another, more authoritative source by sharing and repeating their messaging. This was especially true when communicating about travel-specific mandates. By sharing information from other sources, we reduced the blowback of discontent about the mandates directed at ANC.