Written by Content Desk, Brand Practitioners• October 27, 2025• 6:16 pm• Article, Blog

Case Study: Brussels Airlines Reunites Original Cast After 15 Years for Sequel

Brussels Airlines celebrated a major milestone in 2017 by launching an anniversary campaign referencing an advertisement originally aired in 2002. The 2017 campaign revisited the story, cast and format of the 2002 spot and reaffirmed the airline’s brand promise of service and delight.

This Brussels Airlines Case Study explores the concept, execution, outcomes and insights from that campaign.

Background and origin of the 2002 campaign

In 2002 Brussels Airlines (or its predecessor operations) aired an advertisement popularly known as “It’s a Boy”, featuring a character named Mr Smith discovering the news of his son’s birth in a surprising way while travelling. The advertisement capitalised on the slogan of care and service, portraying staff orchestrating a surprise message at the airport.

Over the years the airline evolved, and by 2017 the brand had adopted the slogan “We Go the Extra Smile” to emphasise its service orientation.

Concept and execution of the 2017-campaign

Concept
To mark its 15th anniversary of that original campaign, Brussels Airlines produced a sequel advertisement in 2017, titled “We Go The Extra Smile For You Since 15 Years”. The concept was to revisit the 2002 story with the same central protagonist (Mr Smith) and the same core cast (airport staff actors, many of whom are real employees) when his son turns 15, mirroring the 15-year gap. According to a BestMediaInfo article:

“This idea was to make a sequel of the ‘It’s a boy’ campaign on the occasion of the airline’s 15th birthday when the same boy also turned 15.”

Production and authenticity
The campaign emphasised authenticity by using staff of the airline rather than professional actors. The BestMediaInfo article states:

“We tried to make use of the same actors (all these actors are real Brussels Airlines staff members).”

Narrative flow
The advertisement opens with Mr Smith and his teenage son checking in. A note on the passport asks “Can you do it again?” The familiar lead protagonist triggers an alert. Airport staff run through corridors; at take-off the aircraft captain announces to the son: “Mr Smith Jr, can you look outside please, there is a surprise for you.” On the tarmac staff form the name “Mr Smith Jr”, then quickly change to “Happy B’day”. The son embraces his father. The voice-over finishes: “Brussels Airlines – We go the extra smile.”

Launch and distribution
The new video was published on YouTube on 15 February 2017 with the title “Going the extra smile for you since 15 years | Brussels Airlines”. The campaign received broad social-media sharing with tags such as #HappyBdaySN.

Outcomes & impact

Brand reinforcement
By revisiting a beloved campaign and maintaining the cast, Brussels Airlines reinforced its promise of exceptional service and consistency over time. The press release notes that the 15th-anniversary video reached more than 2.4 million views.

Emotional connection and nostalgia
The narrative leveraged nostalgia for audiences familiar with the original 2002 campaign while still being accessible to new viewers. The authenticity of staff participation added to the emotional weight.

Consistency in messaging
Rather than launching an entirely new concept, the airline chose continuity, emphasizing that its core values have remained unchanged for 15 years. This approach helped reinforce trust and strengthen brand loyalty among its audience.

Key lessons for practitioners

Legacy matters: Revisiting a past campaign with authenticity can amplify brand equity rather than dilute it.
Authenticity edges professionalism: Using real employees instead of actors reinforced the service promise in an authentic way.
Narrative alignment: The synchronisation of the boy turning 15 and the campaign’s 15-year anniversary created a meaningful link that felt purposeful rather than contrived.
Emotional storytelling over features: The focus was on care and surprise, not on technical flight features. That differentiates service brands.
Digital ripple from TV origin: A legacy TV campaign re-imagined for 2017 found renewed life on digital platforms and social media, showing the value of combining old and new media.