Ads of the Weird : Travel

JetBlue sells cheap chic to former C-level execs

Allison Linn — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:00:00 GMT

It’s hard to feel sorry for those pre-recession bigwigs, who got used to lavish meals, fancy hotels and private jets before they were brought down by the very financial shenanigans that allowed them to live so high and mighty in the first place.

But it’s easier to make fun of the frugality they are now being forced to embrace, and that’s just what discount airliner JetBlue does well in a new ad campaign.

A simple print ad offers a message to all "Hedge Fund Managers, Big Investment Bankers, Moguls, Tycoons" and others who "might be rethinking that next trip on a private jet … Welcome Aboard."

jetblue.com

The airline's Web site helpfully explains the type of amenities the discount carrier has for those who have seen their assets – and power – dwindle considerably.

These include seats that don’t come with a lot of media scrutiny and public outcry, potato chips that "are not a government bailout and there are no strings attached" and a host of live television stations besides the business channels that can be "complete bummers."

"Just think of it as jetpooling, only we find the other people for you," the Web site asserts cheekily.

JetBlue’s campaign stands out because so few companies have done a good job of addressing the difficult economy in a humorous way -- which, to be fair, is probably because it can be pretty hard to find the funny part about people losing their jobs, houses and any hope for retiring.

JetBlue, however, has hit on the fact that we can all find some humor, albeit tinged with a dose of schadenfreude, in the fate of the newly downscaled executive.

That company also deserves credit for tapping into that in a light-hearted, rather than malicious way, since outrage is certainly not something we are lacking these days.

Click here to see the ad, and click here to check out the Web site.

Extended Stay makes a passing reference

Allison Linn — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Looking for a place to spend the night, or the week? The folks at Extended Stay Hotels want you know that if you choose their hotels, you’ll feel comfortable. Really comfortable. More comfortable, in fact, than some people might feel in their own homes, with their own families.

A new commercial for the hotel chain starts off innocuously enough, with an operatic soundtrack coupled with shots of people entering and exiting their hotel rooms.

But wait, why are they pausing ever so slightly, then looking relieved? And what’s up with the fluttering shower curtain, bed sheets and flowers? Why did that woman’s candles suddenly get blown out?

If you’re in fifth grade, chances are you go this one faster than the grown-ups: Extended Stay is using farts to sell hotel rooms.

Extended Stay Hotels (click to play ad)

Whether we grown-ups like to admit it or not, flatulence can be funny, and there are certainly brands -- those directed at pre-teens, for example -- who could do fine with a little humor about letting one rip.

But is it really a way to sell hotel rooms?

We’re guessing most people don’t want to think much about whether hotel rooms are a good place to pass gas. Perhaps more importantly, most people really don’t want to think much about whether other people, who were previously in the room, passed gas (or did anything else related to bodily functions, for that matter).

But now, thanks to this commercial, we can’t help but wonder if we will ever see a sign for an Extended Stay hotel without thinking about those things.

What’s surprising about this campaign is that Extended Stay seems to be in a good position to sell its product simply on its merits. In a weak economy, when most people are looking for a bargain, it has built its reputation on creating a good long-term stay option at a low price, for business travelers and families alike.

While there’s little harm in a few PG-rated flatulence jokes, one wonders how much good it can do a brand, either.

Click here to view the ad.

You are now free to hate flying even more

Allison Linn — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:00:00 GMT

It’s no secret that air travel isn’t what it used to be before 9/11. Heck, it isn’t even what it used to be a week ago, when airlines had the decency to let you check a bag without paying for it. These days, getting on an airplane is all about being nickel-and-dimed, from the time you make the reservation to the moment you straggle over to baggage claim. If you run an airline, how can you spin that in your favor?

American Airlines, which took a beating last week when it announced plans to charge $15 for checking just one piece of luggage, has long claimed in its ad campaign that, "We know why you fly."

But for the most part, the airline seems to think you fly for all the not-very-original reasons you’d expect, such as to get home early from a lame business trip or to take a vacation using frequent flyer miles. What’s more, they largely fail to give any indication of why you should choose American over the competition.

JetBlue

While the legacy airlines try to convince us we should keep flying with them despite what seems like a weekly service downgrade, the discounters are having a field day trying to argue that they offer a better experience. That may be true, but it pays to remember that the bar is extremely low.

JetBlue claims that when you use its airline you’re not flying, you’re jetting. The airline’s advertising campaign touts the now-familiar differentiators -- leather seats, entertainment, snacks.

Snacks, you ask? Yes, that’s what it has come to -- an airline can now make a selling point out of that small plastic bag of processed carbs they toss your way as they make their way down the aisle. What’s next, a campaign touting that they pressurize their cabins? Provide seat belts?

Southwest Airlines also makes fun of its competition in an ad in which everything -- including pushing the call button -- costs flyers money. It’s a cute ad, although not quite cute enough to distract us from the flap over missed safety inspections that prompted tons of flight delays earlier this year.

The fact is, the cost of fuel is going through the roof and the economy is in the doldrums, so airlines are increasingly going to have to make an ugly choice: cheap tickets or good service. That’s not a very alluring advertising message, so here’s a thought: why don’t airlines dump the commercials altogether and put that money toward making our flights just slightly more endurable?

Flight risk

Rob Neill — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:49:00 GMT

We see more than a few hoaxes float by our desk, most are pretty obvious. But when we saw this print advertisement allegedly from a 1979 magazine we were struck by two things.

First, it’s just eerie.

Secondly, if it’s legit – and it seems that it is – how could anything like this exist in our twin ages of the Internet and Big Paranoia and take so long to surface.

We called Pakistan International Airlines, were forwarded to a couple of people before getting voicemail that has yet to be returned. You can see arguments as to its legitimacy here, here – and elsewhere.

In defense of those arguing it is legit (which includes ourselves) here are some points to consider:

Before the World Trade Center towers became a symbol of a barbaric act, they were – despite the opinions of more than a few architectural critics – part of the what made the skyline, maybe even defined the skyline, of New York City. It was simple visual shorthand for anyone trying to cram NYC into a hard vertical space.

As creepy as it is, the shadow and the towers actually says “we fly to New York” on the outside chance that you could actually, you know, forget what happened in 2001.

Lastly, a French-speaking colleague offers the following translation of the chatter at the bottom (thanks Kriss) which certainly seems like standard airline blather:

“One of some of the companies serving NY. Leaving from Orly South, offering the best transfers to smaller cities. Another testimony of efficiency from PIA. PIA is an international company with spectacular growth: 3 million passengers this year, one plane taking off every 6 minutes. A success built on passenger satisfaction. For one successful flight, to NY or 60 other major cities in world, leave with PIA.”

If you were going to create a hoax – wouldn’t you want to at least drop something mildly salacious into the copy?

This is hardly the first time that, looking backward, something in the media looks oddly prescient toward the attacks of that day. One we have always though was odd was Wilco’s “Ashes of American Flags.” We actually heard the song performed live in 2000 before its eventual release in 2002, but it’s always, somehow, seemed linked.

Thanks to Adrants, Gothamist, and 2spare.com for pointing it out.

Close encounters with New Mexico

Rob Neill — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:31:00 GMT

In this interminably long political season, it doesn’t seem out of place. A campaign, Mexico, aliens and controversy.

Thing is though, it’s not that Mexico. And it’s not those aliens. And it’s an ad campaign.

Call off the political commentators.

We were turned on to the ads by a story from the Associated Press, since the commercials are running in San Diego and Minnesota, two places we don’t get local programming from on our cable system (nor can we get NBA League Pass, and they better get the hint soon). The pair of spots feature normal office coworker interaction. Except they are space aliens. And perhaps some pretty backward space aliens (does anyone that can space travel actually read brochures?).

In one, a coworker urges a New Mexican vacation to a rather down-in-the-dumps colleague. In another, one tells of a fabulous spa she visited (and proving that even in outer space, the quip “Don’t go there” is still incredibly tired).

The tagline: “New Mexico the best place in the universe.”

Business people involved in the tourism industry there say the ads are at best dumb and at worst will actually keep visitors away. The agency involved says they are hip, have tested well and work.

Our take? If you are only showing them in Minnesota and San Diego, it can’t matter much. That and they are fun in a dumb way and get one to notice – in short, they work.

Tourism officials might want to worry about being sued by 20th Century Fox. Or for making the state attractive to Sleestak looking to relocate.

You can watch the ads at the state-sponsored Web site here (nice design, by the way). If the state pulls the plug, you can also see them here.