The Real ‘Christmas Miracle’ Of WestJet’s Viral Video: Millions In Free Advertising – Forbes

WestJetIf the unbridled emotion of 250 unsuspecting passengers receiving their Christmas wishes doesn’t warm your heart, you may want to consider a Scrooge-ectomy.

It’s the airline, though, that may have received the biggest Christmas surprise. Richard Bartrem, WestJet’s vice president of communications and community relations, told me that the company had expected perhaps 800,000 views from the video. But in the few short days since Christmas Miracle went live, it had topped 13 million views, been seen in more than 200 countries and made the news in the U.K., Australia, Japan, Poland and Malaysia. “We’re pretty thrilled,” he said, with typically Canadian understatement.

Read the full story on my Forbes Seat 1A site.

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