WestJet Flight Light

WestJet creates a small device with a big emotional job. WestJet Flight Light is a nightlight that uses live flight data to project a parent’s WestJet flight path onto a child’s bedroom ceiling, turning the wait into a visual, interactive countdown of hours and minutes until the parent returns.

Behind it sits a broader shift that shows up across industries. More brands move beyond selling a product and start designing convenience services that drive repeat usage and loyalty by solving real-life friction.

Here, the friction is business travel. WestJet wants frequent travellers to pursue work opportunities without losing connection with the people waiting at home. Flight Light makes the journey feel present. Not abstract.

Why the concept works

The power is not the hardware. It is the experience design. A child’s instinct is to count down. Flight Light makes that countdown tangible and playful by projecting the route in the place where bedtime routines already happen.

The service logic

This is a brand service that behaves like a product. Live flight data becomes a family connection layer. The airline becomes part of the at-home story, not just the transport provider.

Beta-testing and what it signals

WestJet says a prototype of Flight Light exists, with beta testing scheduled to begin later this year. That is the bridge between a cute concept and something that can be operated, supported, and scaled.


A few fast answers before you act

What is WestJet Flight Light?

A nightlight concept that uses live WestJet flight data to project a parent’s flight path onto a child’s bedroom ceiling as an interactive countdown to their return.

Who is it designed for?

Business travellers and frequent flyers with families, especially parents who travel regularly for work.

What is the core experience design move?

Turn a data stream. Live flight status. Into a comforting, visible bedtime ritual that makes the trip home feel real and close.

Automated Thanking Machine

Start with the smile of your audience, and then work back from there. That is the key to most of the successful marketing campaigns. Coca-Cola has done a great job with their various happiness campaigns, followed by WestJet’s christmas campaign where they surprised their passengers with gifts.

Now TD Canada Trust for their “TD Thanks You” campaign converted select ATM machines in their Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver branches into special Automated Thanking Machines. Then 20 hand picked customers were requested to test out these new ATMs. To their surprise the ATM knew their names, talked back to them and eventually even gave them ultra cool gifts. The reactions were captured on video, which in the last 8 days has already got 4.9 million YouTube views.

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