South African airline LIFT has partnered with Build-A-Bear South Africa to deliver what the companies describe as the world’s first Build-A-Bear “heart ceremony” conducted onboard a commercial passenger flight.

The activation took place during two selected flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg, with every passenger receiving a Build-A-Bear teddy bear after boarding the aircraft.

Unlike the traditional in-store experience where the symbolic heart is inserted into the teddy bear at the time of purchase, passengers onboard the flights participated in the company’s signature “heart ceremony” while cruising at 36,000ft.

Passengers were invited to hold the hearts, make a wish and take part in the guided ceremony before later completing the process in-store.

LIFT Brand Manager Haydn Halim-Henning said the activation aimed to create a memorable and emotionally engaging onboard experience for passengers.

“As we’d hoped, the result was an emotional and shareable experience that not only sparked genuine engagement among our passengers, but also reinforced LIFT’s reputation for creating playful, unexpected and elevated experiences,” he said.

Build-A-Bear South Africa General Manager Alaine Rossouw described the event as a unique extension of the brand’s in-store experience.

“To take our iconic heart ceremony beyond the walls of our workshops and perform it together at 36,000ft was incredibly special and something truly never done before,” Rossouw said.

LIFT said the activation forms part of the airline’s broader strategy of creating distinctive passenger experiences through collaborations with South African brands and artists. The airline currently operates up to 28 daily flights within South Africa.