Although greatly loved and enjoyed by customers, Virgin Atlantic had been unprofitable for five years in a fiercely competitive market. With a leadership transition underway, they asked us to help create a mission that would galvanise people, elevate customer experience and restore commercial performance.
We found that the more customers experienced Virgin, the more they loved, spent and stayed loyal. With ‘love’ as the organising idea, we expanded this across the full travel experience. Starting with the exec team, we embedded the language and behaviours of “most loved,” then cascaded the story through layer‑by‑layer immersion. We created a triple‑heart identity, a company‑wide love letter, and manager toolkits with immersive experiences for 1,200 managers - all designed to feel iconic, practical and distinctly Virgin.
"Most loved” became a company‑wide conversation, adoption felt natural and people reported stronger understanding, belief and confidence in leadership.
This journey continued for over five years (including COVID‑19) and eventually evolved to include: “sustainably profitable.” In 2025, Virgin Atlantic cited a return to profitability for the first time in nearly 15 years.
