Airport Marketing Campaign: "More Butts".

Client | Rochester International Airport

Here’s why we need “more butts” to get more flights to Rochester!

Campaign // Video // Graphic Design // Branding & Identity // Marketing Strategy // Digital Advertising // Website Design // Print Advertising // Social Media

What We Did.

In 2024, we helped Rochester International Airport (RST) launch Flocal (short for “Fly Local”). The campaign’s quirky, memorable approach struck a chord across Southeast Minnesota. Not only did the term “Flocal” become widely recognized and adopted in everyday conversation, but the work also earned two Telly Awards and even got trademarked!

But with success comes pressure: how do you follow something that big?

RST’s growth depends on a simple metric: more butts in seats. Airlines add routes and frequency when flights are consistently full. The challenge was to take this insider phrase that’s common in aviation circles and transform it into a public-facing campaign that:

Captures attention in a crowded media landscape.
Extends the momentum of Flocal without repeating it.
Balances bold humor with a family-friendly tone.
Keeps the focus on RST’s mission: more passengers, more flights, more opportunities for the region.

We leaned directly into the industry phrase, with a campaign theme that was impossible to ignore: More Butts (in Seats). By pairing bold typography with playful, family-friendly visuals (such as empty airplane seats waiting for passengers), the campaign struck a balance between cheeky (yes, pun intended) and wholesome.

The campaign came to life across multiple mediums:

Video Storytelling: Inspired by Sarah McLachlan’s iconic “sad animals” ads but reimagined with lonely, empty seats pleading for attention. Filming spanned 10 locations across Southeast Minnesota – from Rochester’s Silver Lake to Winona landmarks, St. Charles cornfields, and even the RST tarmac.
Outdoor & Transit: Bus wraps and billboards declared “More Butts Equals More Flights.” with bold, clear design.
Digital & Social Media: Social videos reinforced the message with shareable content and a simple call to action: “Your butt can make a difference.”
Community Integration: Messaging tied directly back to Flocal’s foundation, showing that filling flights today unlocks tomorrow’s new routes.

The campaign hit the ground running with 650,000+ impressions and 153,000+ video plays in the first 30 days across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.