Spafax
Experience Entertainment.
Welcome to Spafax. This is where we make things more interesting. We create engaging media and entertainment products that bring you closer to your customer.
About Spafax
Founded in London in 1985, we earned our wings in the in-flight entertainment (IFE) industry, becoming leaders in specialty IFE management, custom publishing, advertising sales and technical services. We now work with over 60 international airline clients worldwide.
But we’re no longer just movies on a plane. With offices around the world we are truly a global creative community with a who’s who list of “terrestrial” clients.
Through our parent company WPP, we have access to the global expertise and practical resources of one of the world’s largest and most diverse media groups working across all traditional and specialist communications fields.
Our Team
Niall McBain
CEO
Simon Ogden
CFO
Raymond Girard
Vice-President, Media & Publishing
Pam Ryan
President, Entertainment Worldwide
Ann Willis
Managing Director, Entertainment
Lum Kit Wuan
Managing Director, Singapore & Malaysia
Katrin Kopvillem
Managing Director, Canada
Our Approach
The working model is the same for all our clients – a partnership based on flexibility and creativity across all media platforms. We get to know everything about our clients - needs, philosophies, opportunities and challenges. We reach customers at all points of their “journey” as they come into contact with your brand - from inspiration to decision.
We call this our Journey Cycle approach and it will help you:
- Maximise the impact of your marketing initiatives
- Deliver ROI (Return on investment)
- Acquire and retain loyal customers
- Build brand awareness
- Capture demographic data about your potential audience
- Convert audience into customers
Our Services
We conceive, execute and manage entertainment and media products. We’ve established a range of services that are complementary to one another and offer our customers the opportunity to expand their business objectives across a variety of media platforms.
All of our services are delivered with the highest degree of quality and commitment to creativity, research and innovation. We maintain strong operational and administrative processes necessary to deliver projects on time and within budget.
Find out more about our service areas.
Entertainment
Spafax programs film, television and audio entertainment to suit your customer demographics, while enforcing your brand attributes and personality. By building solid relationships with every major distributor from Hollywood to Hong Kong, we have the strongest buying power in the business. We work with all stakeholders to ensure that content is effectively received by your audience, across all hardware and delivery platforms.
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Publishing
Everyone loves a good read – from light-hearted snippets to deep and engaging articles. With over 20 magazine titles to date and growing, Spafax has established itself internationally as a leading custom publisher. Our teams of talented editors, art directors and print experts create award-winning magazines that are proven communication tools for our clients. As a global organization we remain culturally sensitive as our titles reflect their respective communities, while providing a window to the world at large. Our expertise includes both traditional print and electronic formats.
enRoute
Consistently one of the top ten most profitable magazines in Canada, enRoute has long since surpassed our clients expectations. We’ve been publishing Air Canada’s enRoute since 1998, winning more that 400 awards for graphic and editorial excellence including twice being named the world’s best in-flight magazine by the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA). www.enroutemag.com
In
In has quickly become one of South America’s most engaging publications, winning more international awards than any other magazine from the region – custom or otherwise. Spafax produces in and the In Premiere entertainment guides for LAN Airlines S.A., the most dynamic airline in South America. www.in-lan.com
Oryx
Entertainment is the common language here. Produced in both English and Arabic, this magazine offers Qatar Airways passengers more than just listing and programming info. Oryx is a true entertainment magazine with news and reviews from the worlds of movies, television and music.
Plan Bleu
Our expansion into lifestyle/real estate has been met with much enthusiasm. We began creating editorial for Quebec’s natural gas utility Gaz Metropolitan in partnership with their branding agency Diesel. We’ve become known for quality content management and in strategic marketing partnerships.
Pure Canada
Pure Canada sells “Brand Canada” to an American audience. It’s the Canadian Tourism Commission’s travel and lifestyle magazine promoting Canadian destinations and tourism offerings. In three short years Spafax has turned Pure Canada into an award-winning publication recognized as a market leader in the travel industry.
RITZ
We’re proud to publish the multi-award-winning London’s Ritz Hotel and Casino magazine. It’s a luxurious offering to guests, available in all rooms of the hotel and a subscription strategy to an exclusive audience.
Royal Wings
Not only bilingual but bi-cultural, we’ve been publishing Royal Wings since 1999. We seamlessly fuse design and content in English and Arabic, with a broad international editorial perspective catering to a diverse market for one of the world’s most luxurious airlines.
Show & Extra
Show Magazine is a gateway to a whole universe of entertainment, including the best TV, movies, sports and more. It’s mailed directly every month to 800,000 Bell ExpressVu subscribers across Canada. Bell ExpressVu’s EXTRA is mailed to 65,000 French speaking customers, promising to change the way you look at TV.
Start Here
We’re no strangers to the world of business and technology. This publication is aimed at students considering careers in accountancy and is produced for the AICPA by their branding agency Wunderman. Start Here is published bi-annually for the American institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Interactive
New technologies bring the entertainment experience even closer to the audience by replicating the at-home experience. Our interactive design and management service allows airlines to give their customers direct control over their entertainment options.
Spafax’s experience in such operations management across all existing and developing hardware platforms will ensures that your investment in quality entertainment is not lost with unreliable delivery. Our Graphic User Interfaces capture your brand identity and advance your business objectives. Working in partnership with leading hardware manufacturers and world-class designers, we create audio and video-on-demand (AVOD) experiences second to none.
If it’s the web you’re aiming for, take note that Spafax also specializes in strategic development and online marketing, design and web hosting. The websites we create are engaging, attractive and reflect our clients' objectives. Our e-zines and direct communication efforts have been highly successful and profitable for our clients.
onAir
onAir, Air Canada’s new e-zine allows Air Canada to develop, foster and grow a direct relationship with their customers using a conversational tone that drives clicks. OnAir inspires brand awareness and loyalty while providing value-added entertainment to Air Canada customers. Best of all, it drives measurable purchase behaviour.
Movie Guide
Our online Movie Guide gives you a look into the editorial process of creating the perfect in-flight entertainment experience. Not only does it inform customers of up-coming releases and current offerings, but also advises on suitability for varied audiences.
Production
We produce hundreds of hours of original content every year, keeping up with entertainment trends and audience demand. This is your show and we make sure it reflects your identity. Our production teams work with you to ensure that all entertainment has the markings of your brand.
We’re skilled at creating boarding and safety videos, video wallpaper, destination clips, commercials and promos, video magazines, specialty compilations. If there is a distinct and unique message you need to get across, we can produce it for you.
Advertising
Spafax has an exceptional sales team who represent a broad portfolio of in-flight and mainstream media products. We help our clients connect with their customers throughout the journey cycle with entertainment placements, ambient media, and print and electronic mediums. We’re skilled at inventing new ways of reaching the customer. Working in partnership with our clients, we can evaluate the advertising potential of communication products, creating a sales strategy that can offset production costs or provide an effective revenue stream. Let us show you how to get more out of your project.
For all advertising enquiries please contact the office nearest to you:
Print: We offer advertising opportunities in a variety of traditional and non-traditional publications. The advertiser can target individual titles for a unique and local campaign – or mix and match titles to create regional and global media buys.
Broadcast: We sell into in-flight TV, movies, audio and digital platforms. Opportunities include spot advertising, program sponsorship, channel sponsorship, “paid content” and infomercials - your message will stand out next to the best news, film, business, sport, comedy and travel information.
Ambient: Target the airline passenger throughout the entire journey using ticket jackets, boarding passes, in-seat collateral distribution, product trials and sampling, meal tray cards, tip-ons to newspapers, and event sponsorship. We can even help get your product into First Class Lounges worldwide, ensuring an exclusive audience will get your message.
Our Offices
We've got the world covered.
London
The Pumphouse
13-16 Jacobs Well Mews
London W1U 3DY
T +44 20 7906 2001
F accounts/central +44 20 7906 2003
F uk entertainment +44 20 7906 2006
F media +44 20 7906 2022
E nmcbain@spafax.com
Jobs: jobs@spafax.com
Montreal
4200 boul. Saint-laurent
Suite 707
Montreal, qc
Canada h2w 2r2
T +1 514 844 2001
F +1 514 844 6001
E kkopvillem@spafax.net
Jobs: jobs@spafax.com
Toronto
1179 King Street
Suite 101
Toronto, ON M6K 3C5
Canada
T +1 416 350 2425
F +1 416 350 2440
E kkopvillem@spafax.net
Jobs: jobs@spafax.com
Kuala Lumpur
708, block f
Phileo damansara
Business centre 1
9, jalan 16/11
Off jalan damansara
46350 petaling jaya, selangor
Malaysia
T +6 03 7665 9050
F +6 03 7660 9055
M +6 012 220 9494
E umar@spafax.com.my
Jobs: jobs@spafax.com
Orange County
1507 west yale avenue
Orange ca 92867
T +1 714 363 4900 ext. 4903
F +1 714 998 0135
Jobs: jobs@spafax.com
Singapore
69a boat quay
Singapore, 049857
T +656 536 1146
F +656 536 1148
E lkwuan@spafax.com
Jobs: jobs@spafax.com
www.spafaxsingapore.com
Santiago
Torre oriente edificio marriott
Av. Pdte. Kennedy 5757, of. 509
Las condes, santiago, chile
T +56(2) 462 7900
F +56(2) 462 7999
E jcbacarreza@spafax.com
Jobs: jobs@spafax.com
Dubai
Po box 34780
Fairmont hotel
Office no. 618
C/o media insight
Dubai, uae
T +9714 332 8300 ext. 120
F +9714 332 8411
M +97150 468 0466
M +97150 482 3673
E ytannous@spafax.com
Jobs: jobs@spafax.com
Case Studies
Entertainment
British Airways Audio
Entertainment: British Airways Audio Relaunch
Client: British Airways
Platform: 16 audio channels
Spafax London
Target: Increase satisfaction amongst BA’s target demographic 35+. Several other key audience segments were identified as lacking relevant audio content, most noticeably 12-25 year olds and the ‘hip’ 25+ demographic.
Client objectives: To enhance the audio entertainment onboard British Airways by using the modest budget increase to best effect.
Provide access to a range of audio programming that is intelligent, engaging, relevant and unique.
Develop a content deal with the BBC.
Execution: It was decided that the full capacity of the British Airways audio hardware should be utilised for the first time. This enabled Spafax to begin scheduling a 16 channel line-up (up from 12 channels), thereby ensuring that British Airways had the volume of content capable of satisfying an increased range of demographics.
Results: Both client and customers reacted positively to the improvements in the audio programming. British Airways is looking to further enhance its audio offerings by developing relationships in the areas of podcasting and “carry-on” entertainment.
Publishing
enRoute
Publishing: enRoute
Client: Air Canada
Circulation: 170,000
Frequency: 12 issues annually
Distribution: onboard all Air Canada flights and in specially selected retail locations.
Spafax Office: Montreal, Toronto
Target: The affluent “high flying” business audience. Our readers are mobile and on the go.
Client Objectives: To enhance the corporate brand and generate revenue
Execution: Spafax has positioned enRoute as the centrepiece of an entire branding strategy, creating a high quality lifestyle magazine.
Results: enRoute has won over 400 editorial and design awards around the world since 1998. It has twice been named the world’s best in-flight magazine by the World Airline Entertainment Association. Spafax has generated significant advertising revenue for the client continually surpassing sales objectives.
In
Publishing: In magazine
Client: LAN
Circulation: 56,000
Frequency: 12 issues annually
Distribution: onboard all LAN flights and in specially selected retail locations.
Spafax Santiago
Target: An affluent, international jet set elite. Our readers are a highly influential group from South America
and beyond.
Client Objectives: To serve as a means of cross-cultural exchange between Latin America and the world. To enhance the passenger’s inflight experience and position the airline as a leader in customer service. Generate additional revenue.
Execution: In is the centrepiece of an in-flight media product family, exploring themes of contemporary art, fashion, beauty, style, business and technology. Spafax created a beautiful magazine that is inspiring and interesting to read, positioning the airline as an interactive, innovative and inviting organization.
Results: In has won several awards for editorial, design and Integrated Marketing/Multimedia Campaign. Spafax Chile sells LAN media across various platforms to advertising clients across South America and the U.S. The division continually surpasses sales objectives, creating significant revenues for the client.
Interactive
onAir
Interactive: Air Canada’s onAir e-zine
Client: Air Canada
Frequency: monthly
Distribution: emailed directly to 1.76 million
Air Canada customers
Spafax Canada
Target: Air Canada customers in Canada and the U.S. Our readers are high-end, well-educated, sophisticated professionals and experiential travelers who book and research their travel online. Segmented versions of these editions are also custom-made, in order to deliver targeted messages to specific audiences.
Client Objectives: The primary goal is to enhance the Air Canada brand, build awareness about Air Canada products and to drive readers to the aircanada.com resources and booking engine. The secondary goal is to entertain and inform customers while creating a commercially viable, revenue-generating media product that helps build customer loyalty. Essentially, onAir aims to turn online readers into online buyers by providing compelling reasons to click to aircanada.com.
Execution: onAir allows Air Canada to develop, foster and grow a direct relationship with their customers using a conversational tone that drives clicks.
Results: OnAir inspires brand awareness and loyalty while providing value-added entertainment to Air Canada customers. Best of all, it drives measurable purchase behaviour.
Production
Air Canada's enRoute Student Film Festival
Production: Air Canada’s enRoute Student Film Festival
Client: Air Canada
Media platforms: shown on Air Canada’s mainscreen and AVOD System.
Cycle: monthly student film compilations 6 X year
Spafax Canada
Target: All Air Canada passengers, the general public, film students, Canadian film industry.
Client objectives: To support Canadian culture by developing Canada’s first inflight student film festival. To provide the inflight audience with original programming. To generate sponsorship revenue for the client, offsetting the cost of the Festival.
Execution: Spafax Canada developed Canada’s first ever inflight student film festival with a nationwide call for entries. Selected films run in monthly compilations on Air Canada’s mainscreen and video-on-demand system. The film compilations are a custom production with unique Festival packaging and graphics.
Results: The Festival gives student filmmakers unprecedented exposure and the largest prize package of any student film festival in the world. The client has received a considerable amount of positive publicity for its initiative to promote emerging Canadian film talent. The Festival is well underway to being self-funded through major corporate sponsorship.
Royal Jordanian Destination documentaries
Production: Royal Jordanian Destination documentaries
Client: Royal Jordanian
Media platforms: shown onboard Royal Jordanian Airlines and also used by Jordan’s Tourist Bureau
Cycle: 6 X 10 minute episodes
Spafax London
Target: Passengers flying to Jordan, passengers transiting through Jordan and delegates at travel trade shows.
Client objectives: To promote Jordan as a tourist destination and show that the airline supports the Jordanian Tourist Board and the country.
Execution: Spafax produces these documentaries in their entirety, including research, sourcing the camera crew, providing a producer and director from Spafax, attending the shoot and editing the documentaries in English and Arabic. They are shot on DVCAM, edited on Final Cut Pro and delivered on Digi Beta PAL.
Results: These documentaries are broadcast over the airline's tape based system throughout the year. They are also encoded for the VOD system, building an extensive library on different aspects of Jordan. Spafax has provided Royal Jordanian with these documentaries for 6 years; the client appreciates the knowledge that we have on Jordan and also the production value Spafax has added.
Advertising
Royal Bank of Scotland
Advertising: Royal Bank of Scotland products and services
Advertiser: RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)
Airline and media platforms: American Airlines in-flight video, in-flight DVD, in-flight product giveaway, in-lounge.
Spafax California
Client Objectives: To enhance the corporate brand of RBS through sports programming sponsorship – in particular, golf legend Jack Nicklaus.
Execution: Spafax California developed and implemented a highly-strategic in-flight media plan for RBS that included:
Target: Business travellers in premium cabins on international flights to/from Europe and Asia
1. Video – ‘Sports’ and ‘News’ IVS (in-seat video) channel sponsorships with billboard and spot; 12 months.
2. DVD – Placement of an RBS-branded sports program in AA’s In-flight DVD Theatre Kit for First and Business Class passengers; 12 months.
3. Product Giveaway – Distribution of an RBS-branded, Jack Nicklaus golf special DVD in premium cabins in select targeted routes; 2 times within the year.
4. Lounge – Placement of posters and distribution of RBS brochures in select locations of Admiral Club; 12 months.
Results: RBS and its agency were pleased with the unique and highly targeted in-flight media campaign. They have awarded Spafax and American Airlines a second annual contract the following year (May 2006 – April 2007).
Alliance Atlantis
Advertising: Alliance Atlantis specialty channels
Advertiser: Alliance Atlantis (AABI)
Airline and media platforms: Air Canada’s audio/video-on-demand (AVOD) system
Spafax Canada
Target: All Air Canada’s passengers with access to the recently launched AVOD system
Client objectives: To promote the various specialty channels offered by Alliance Atlantis; to encourage viewership at home and increase channel subscriptions
Execution: Spafax Canada created the opportunity for AABI to brand multiple channels within the TV category on the AVOD system, allowing for 2 hours of AABI programming to be featured under each AABI channel selection.
Results: Alliance Atlantis has been extremely satisfied with the exposure of their channels on Air Canada. They have expressed interest in increasing the number of sponsored channels and extending their in-flight campaign.
Jobs with Spafax
Our success is due to the commitment of over 120 talented professionals that work with us worldwide. We aim to serve our communities and champion local talent in each of our creative endeavours.
We are a growing organization with exciting career opportunities. We foster a creative and diverse work environment that respects individuality and self-expression.
Freelancers, join our talent pool! Send us your work and show us what you can do. We’re always looking for new and promising graphic designers, illustrators, writers, filmmakers and production staff. Contact the office nearest you.