ANA CEO on His Star Wars Strategy and Why Sushi Doesn’t Fly

Several years ago, executives at ANA realized they had a problem. They wanted to attract more US customers, but a Google search for ANA was nearly as likely to lead potential travelers to the American Nurses Association as to the airline. Enter Star Wars, the iconic American movie franchise. The two brands announced a five-year deal in 2015, and ANA quickly repainted a Boeing 787-9 in what it called a “R2-D2 livery.” ANA now has four special planes, having christened C-3PO earlier this year. On board, ANA uses special themed headrest covers, and gives passengers Star Wars-branded cups and napkins. It hasn’t been easy for ANA, but the airline, which started in 1953 yet didn’t fly international routes until 1986, is raising its profile in the US, through the Star Wars promotion, and others, including its partnership with the celebrity DJ and musician Steve Aoki. He leads a marketing campaign called Welcome to Experience Class. ANA now serves nine destinations in the United States, including Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, New York, Houston, and Honolulu, and two more — Mexico City and Vancouver, in the broader Americas. On US flights, ANA has anti-trust immunity with United, allowing the airlines to coordinate pricing and schedules, while sharing revenues. With its US footprint, ANA is now about as big in the Americas as Japan Airlines, a carrier with better name recognition abroad. Story features interview with ANA CEO Yuji Hirako, who took over in April. <br/>