Etihad Airways announced the launch globally of a television commercial and digital media campaign. This is the first project for the airline's adverting agency, M & C Saatchi, appointed recently and directed by film director, Chris Hartwill, from Ridley Scott’s film production company, RSA Films. 

According to the airline, the advertising campaign will highlight "Etihad Airways is the fastest growing airline in aviation history and during its first eight years of operation more people have switched to Etihad Airways than to any other global airline in history."

Titled ‘Why’, the campaign focuses on "why more than 40 million people have chosen to fly with Etihad Airways rather than industry competitors."

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ chief commercial officer, said: "The Etihad Airways success story is a phenomenal one that will probably never be repeated and is therefore relevant for the history of commercial aviation. The airline has evolved from an initial vision, to a fledgling start-up, to the award-winning airline that we are today.

"The marketing campaign shares some of the secrets of our success with a worldwide audience and shows how, in less than nine years of operations, we have carried more than 40 million passengers and become synonymous with providing customers with the highest levels of hospitality and service available on the ground and in the sky.

"Our home-base of Abu Dhabi has also experienced tremendous development during this period and we were thrilled to conduct the filming for the commercial at beach locations on the stunning Saadiyat Island."