The Tulip – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Introducing KLM’s newest Boeing 787, Tulip, through a social-first brand film
Client:
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Services:
- Strategy
- Creative Development
- Video Production
Challenge
KLM wanted to introduce its newest Boeing 787, Tulip, in a way that would create excitement around the aircraft while strengthening emotional connection with the KLM brand across social media.
Action
EQUS created a cinematic social-first brand film designed to unveil the new aircraft in a grand and visually memorable way, combining Dutch identity, emotion, and spectacle into a story built for online engagement and shareability.
Results
The film achieved strong organic reach across KLM’s social channels and performed exeptionally well that additional paid media support was later added to amplify its momentum. The project was also nominated for a Gouden Reiger award.
The Story
In 2018, KLM introduced its newest Boeing 787 aircraft: Tulip.
Rather than simply unveiling the aircraft, the goal was to create a moment audiences would emotionally connect with online. At the time, social-first films still had strong organic potential, especially when they combined cinematic storytelling with national pride and timely brand moments.
Together with KLM, EQUS developed a film specifically designed for social platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The approach focused on turning the aircraft launch into a visually engaging brand story that felt both premium and emotionally accessible. Beyond showcasing the aircraft itself, the film also helped connect KLM’s continued investment in its fleet to the broader KLM brand experience, reinforcing innovation, ambition, and Dutch identity.
Despite working within a relatively modest production budget, EQUS collaborated closely with KLM to maximise production value without compromising the film’s creative ambition. According to KLM, one of the strengths of the collaboration was EQUS’ ability to think strategically alongside the client while continuously adapting the creative approach to achieve the strongest possible result within budget.
The film went on to achieve strong organic performance online. On Facebook alone, the film generated over 10,100 likes, 580 comments, and 1,400 shares. Later, it received industry recognition through a nomination for the Gouden Reiger award.
Gallery
