Planning reunions with far-flung loved ones during the holidays is worth the hassle… but admit it, it is a hassle.
But WestJet, a Canadian-based low-cost carrier, in true holiday spirit, decided to shoulder that hassle for the families featured in its annual holiday campaign, and the company couldn’t have done a better job!
The best part is it was all done in secret, which means the surprise and pure joy they show when they spot their loved ones is as genuine as it gets!
The campaign highlights the importance of spending the holidays with loved ones and stars “Blue Santa,” who shows viewers holiday traditions in 16 countries on six continents. (Talk about racking up frequent flier miles.) His adventures will be shared daily until Christmas day through the use of this advent calendar.
Which brings us to those surprise family reunions we mentioned up above. Kathleen and Bob live in Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada, and would love to be spending this special time of year with their eldest daughter, Jennifer. But she lives overseas, and they rarely see each other – a fact that breaks Kathleen’s heart.
But WestJet knows just the thing to make her feel better: Fly her and her husband out to London and give them a starring role in a commercial! Of course, it’s all a ruse:
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“She’s my oldest daughter, I don’t get to see her very often,” Kathleen says, adding that Jen has been in Seoul, South Korea, for the last seven years. “I miss you, Jen, and I sure wish you were here with me.”
Well, no one’s better at making dreams come true than Santa!
We came up with a ruse. To cause some confusion. A make-believe commercial. Would complete the illusion.
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So in the spirit of Christmas, WestJet created a surprise. These lucky guests will remember for the rest of their lives.
And the moment they reunited was so, so sweet.
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Then there’s Austin and Chantel.
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They met at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in 2017, which was marred by violence when a gunman targeted festival-goers from the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel. They had no idea how life-changing the event would be, Austin says, and “seeing how she dealt with it really let me know the kind of person she was.”
Chantel also arrived in London thinking she’d be featured in a WestJet commercial, and the camera crew got her talking about Austin and the rigors of a long-distance relationship. She got the surprise of her life when a crew member took her picture, which was photobombed by a special someone…
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There’s nothing more heartwarming than watching people’s faces break into smiles, and there’s plenty of them in this roughly four-minute “advent” segment.
Check out the whole episode and more surprise reunions in the video below, and share to help Santa spread the holiday spirit!
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