AIR FRANCE RETURNS WITH NEW CAMPAIGN CELEBRATING FRENCH ELEGANCE

Air France has launched a new advertising campaign beginning 8 March 2026, marking its return to television advertising in France. Developed with Aura by Omnicom, the campaign highlights French elegance, design and onboard services through striking visuals, including imagery around the Eiffel Tower and installations symbolising the airline’s travel experience.

Air France has unveiled a new advertising campaign as part of a broader brand strategy aimed at highlighting its onboard services, design philosophy and distinctive French identity. Beginning on 8 March 2026, the campaign marks the airline’s return to television advertising in France, signalling a renewed effort to reinforce its brand presence both domestically and internationally.

The initiative introduces eleven visuals and video pieces that will be gradually released across France and several international markets served by the airline. Developed in collaboration with the creative agency Aura by Omnicom, the campaign seeks to capture the airline’s long-standing association with elegance and style while showcasing the experience passengers encounter throughout their journey.

Central to the campaign is the brand message “Elegance is a journey. Air France.” The concept builds upon the airline’s previous advertising approach, continuing a narrative that positions travel not merely as transportation but as a refined cultural experience. By combining recognisable French imagery with symbolic representations of its services, the airline aims to communicate both heritage and innovation.

The visual storytelling prominently features the Eiffel Tower, one of France’s most recognisable landmarks, paired with the image of a flowing red dress that has become a recurring element in Air France’s advertising. In the new campaign’s signature visual, a central character is depicted climbing the Eiffel Tower while the train of her dress streams dramatically in the wind. The image merges fashion, movement and architecture to evoke a sense of aspiration and elegance, themes that the airline has long sought to associate with its brand.

The imagery for the campaign was created by photographers Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello, who previously collaborated with Air France on its advertising campaign launched in 2022. Known for their cinematic and stylised visual compositions, the duo brings a theatrical quality to the campaign, blending fashion photography with travel symbolism. Their work emphasises fluid motion, vibrant colour and iconic landmarks, reinforcing the campaign’s focus on both French aesthetics and the emotional dimension of travel.

A striking feature of the campaign is the installation of a large-format banner displaying the central visual on the façade of Air France’s headquarters at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The banner, measuring more than 1,000 square metres, will remain in place throughout March. Positioned to face airport terminals, surrounding roads and aircraft taxiways, the display is designed to capture the attention of travellers, airport staff and passers-by alike, turning the airline’s headquarters into a monumental canvas for its brand message.

Beyond the airport setting, the campaign will extend across multiple platforms and locations. Outdoor billboards, shopping centre displays and digital advertising channels across France will carry the visuals, ensuring widespread public visibility. The gradual release of the eleven visuals and video segments is intended to maintain audience engagement over time, allowing different aspects of the airline’s services and brand identity to be highlighted sequentially.

A distinctive feature of the campaign is its use of imaginative visual installations and props designed to symbolise various aspects of the Air France travel experience. Creative teams developed a series of sculptural objects and artistic interpretations that transform everyday airline services into striking visual metaphors.

Among these installations is a seat shaped like a Wi-Fi symbol, representing the airline’s connectivity services and the importance of staying digitally connected while travelling. Another visual element features an oversized macaron, a nod to the expertise of French pastry-making and the culinary offerings available on board. By drawing upon familiar elements of French gastronomy, the campaign underscores the airline’s emphasis on cuisine as part of the passenger experience.

Comfort during flights is represented through a garment designed to resemble a quilt, symbolising the sense of relaxation and warmth associated with long-haul travel. In another installation, an hourglass-shaped chair represents the time passengers spend in airport lounges, highlighting the airline’s investment in premium ground services designed to make waiting time more enjoyable and refined.

Perhaps the most conceptually layered element of the campaign is a skirt composed of multiple tiers, each representing the airline’s extensive network of destinations. The visual metaphor suggests the idea of travel unfolding across layers of culture and geography, reinforcing the airline’s global reach while maintaining a strong French identity.

Through these installations and visual metaphors, the campaign attempts to translate intangible aspects of air travel—comfort, service, connectivity and cultural identity—into memorable imagery. The creative approach reflects a broader trend in airline advertising that emphasises experiential storytelling rather than simple product promotion.

For Air France, the campaign also represents a strategic return to traditional broadcast media at a time when many brands focus primarily on digital platforms. By returning to television advertising in France while simultaneously deploying digital and outdoor media, the airline is adopting a multi-channel strategy intended to maximise audience reach and brand visibility.

The decision to highlight French cultural symbols—ranging from fashion to gastronomy and iconic architecture—reflects the airline’s longstanding effort to position itself as an ambassador of French style and hospitality. For decades, Air France has woven national cultural elements into its branding, seeking to differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive global aviation market.

As the campaign rolls out across France and international markets, Air France appears to be reinforcing a message that travel is not only about reaching a destination but also about the experience along the way. Through dramatic imagery, symbolic installations and a renewed presence on television screens, the airline is seeking to remind travellers that, in its vision, elegance accompanies every stage of the journey.