Week 5

My chosen collaboration

From all of my research stemming from the vinyl art designers, science fiction, then space, I found the perfect collaboration that I’m really excited about (and it sort of develops from the aircraft NASA idea)… Plus I wanted to pick something that wasn’t fashion which seems to be a high majority of collaborations these days…

Eva Air x Sanrio – 2013

Sanrio originally approached Eva to sell some branded products in-flight to passengers, when Eva Air had a better idea. They worked together for six months, in the video above it shows Sanrio examining the exterior of the plane for paintwork and branding quality checks. This would be part of their process during that time, alongside with all of the branding concept for the interior of the flight.

The branded Eva aeroplanes have their own website:

The detail of branding – the entire customer journey is hello kitty themed

Editorial

Analyse the relationship of the collaborators and the roles they played:

Chang Yung-Fa, EVA Air chairman and vice group chairman of Evergreen Group, has a passion for airplanes and everything about them. His leadership, savvy and creativity led the growing international airline to become a Star Alliance member and launch the internationally acclaimed EVA Hello Kitty Jet program. He became president of the airline in 2005 and took an unpaid leave of absence in 2006 to study and further develop his airline-industry knowledge.
Chang Yung-Fa, EVA Air’s chairman is passionate about the company to the extent of studying the airline-industry. Chang understands the infrastructure of EVA Air, ensuring high standards of quality and safety are fulfilled.

Big Ideas, Attention to Smallest Details – EVA has kept quality service and continuous improvement as part of daily operations from the start. They continue to elevate standards, add amenities and enhance passengers’ check-in and boarding experiences with a customised approach that includes consideration, interaction and mindfulness. EVA launched one of the world’s first premium economy cabins in December 1992; the Premium Economy class product is an airline-industry trendsetter that is consistently popular among both business and leisure travellers.
EVA Air has maintained their business through continual improvement right from the beginning, always keeping the customer in consideration. From the check-in process to boarding and duration of the flight; the customer must be considered, given appropriate interaction and be comfortable. An example of this is the “comprehensive contingency plan”, which ensures EVA Air consistently meet the essential needs of customers. It’s because of all this attention to detail, that EVA Air appeal to many people of varying socioeconomic status.

Some things, however, do not change. In my previous IR letter (Issue No. 59), I discussed about my own experience during the war and how I created Sanrio as a means to avoid the repeated cycle of conflict. During the Second World War, 120 B-29 bombers carpet-bombed my hometown of Kofu City. Nearly 70 percent of the city was burned to ashes. At 18 years of age, I put my little sister on my back, and through incendiary bombs that fell like rain, we barely escaped with our lives. That experience inspired me to create a business in which the world could live in peace without war.
For the past 60 years, the Sanrio Social Communication Business has strived to inspire people around the world to get along peacefully under the slogan Small Gift, Big Smile. Now and in the future, it is important that all the people of the world live in empathy and harmony.
Our characters may change with the times, but at the root, our business philosophy never changes. This is why Sanrio introduces 400 new types of products to the world every month. We also introduce many characters through our Character Wide Series.
Giving a small, unencumbering gift to another person to show gratitude encourages stronger relationships. Sending a fun card to a friend who is far away becomes a fun, shared time…The role of Sanrio is to help make these special occasions.
Sanrio is well known around the world. It is odd to me that we don’t see more companies emerge that imitate our way of business.
We look forward to your continued support of Sanrio’s social communication gift card business and our aim to create a world in which everyone gets along and helps one another.
Shintaro Tsuji, President and CEO has managed Sanrio for 60 years and therefore has experienced many changes within an ever-changing world. Sanrio has been built on making people happy, and helping others through kindness. Ultimately the customer has always been put first and the company has captured the hearts of customers throughout its history.

Both collaborators had customers at the heart of their idea and focus, and therefore the outcome is really effective.

Research any documented history of the challenges they faced and the outcome they produced:

Elements of the exterior functions of planes were considered, and for long haul flights or higher altitudes, the planes had to be hand painted as opposed to using large vinyl stickers. For the 777, EVA used a painting process for the livery that was different and more detailed than the process it used to illustrate its A330s. Because the 777 flies at higher altitude and over longer distances than the shorter range jets, a crew of 35 engineers spent almost two weeks painting the aircraft livery instead of using aviation-grade adhesive to put the characters in place.

This demonstrates that design and function have both been prioritised and therefore quality has not been compromised throughout this collaboration process.

Explore and analyse any specific approaches they took to their creative process or recording of their ideas that facilitated a successful outcome:

EVA’s Hello Kitty Jets have become more successful than Sanrio initally projected. The jets appeal to a wide range of travellers as some passengers book flights to collect the service items (e.g. pillow cases, utensils, headrest covers). Besides the colourful décor and theme, every passenger receives warm, friendly service and comfortable aircraft, and are able to purchase additional items of their choice on flights and in stores at airport customs.
Passenger bookings on the Hello Kitty Jets are 3% higher than their regular aircraft and inflight duty-free sales of exclusive Hello Kitty and Sanrio items has climbed to $3 million a year – this is due to the whole experience being customised to each customer.

Hello Kitty Jets are much more than co-branding. More importantly, the secret of the EVA Air and Sanrio/Hello Kitty success is their shared values and goals, and when collaborating it is important to select the right partner.

Edited 300 words:

EVA Air’s chairman Chang Yung-Fa is passionate about aircraft and understands the companies infrastructure, including health and safety principles. From the check-in process to boarding and in-flight, the customer is considered. Customers receive appropriate interaction and comfort throughout, appealing to all people of varying socioeconomic status.
President of Sanrio Shintaro Tsuji has managed Sanrio for 60 years within an ever-changing world. Sanrio is built on making people happy and helping others through kindness. Ultimately the customer has always been put first and the company has captured the hearts of customers throughout its history. Both business owners had customers at the heart of their idea and focus, and therefore EVA Air x Sanrio is a successful collaboration.

Exterior decomposition was a challenge for both companies. For the 777 jet, EVA used a painting process that was more detailed than processes used to illustrate A330 jets, due to higher altitude and longer distances causing damage to the artwork. EVA painted the aircraft instead of using aviation-grade adhesive to put characters in place. This demonstrates that design and function have both been prioritised and therefore quality has not been compromised throughout this collaboration.

EVA’s jets appeal to a wide range of travellers as some passengers book flights to collect the bespoke items, and additional products can be purchased in-flight, or in stores at airport customs. Passenger bookings on the Hello Kitty Jets are 3% higher than regular aircraft; and inflight duty-free sales of exclusive Hello Kitty and Sanrio items has climbed to $3 million a year. Hello Kitty Jets are much more than co-branding; the secret of the EVA Air and Sanrio/Hello Kitty success is their shared values and goals, putting the customer at the heart of the business and being resilient to change.