It’s Time to Fly (or be quiet)
August 28, 2008 – 12:59 pmAdvertising Age rips into United for its latest round of ads (which I wrote about here). They like the ads, but:
Now obviously this ad promotes premium service, where passengers are substantially insulated from the indignities endured by the hoi polloi. But so what? The Olympics cast a wide net. The vast majority of those who see this ad, once they get finished oohing and aahing over the adorable halibut, will be freshly reminded of how flat beds and symphonic splendor have nothing to do with their air-travel experience. What they will be reminded of is their most recent nightmare and the ongoing air disaster that is contemporary, unfriendly-skies reality.
Yes, at this particular moment, even “Merrie Melodies” are unbearably dissonant and utterly counterproductive. Pretty animation or no pretty animation, this would have been a good time for United to keep its “It’s Time to Fly” zipped.
Clearly, the ads are going after the premium market segment, but the publication has a point that it is probably not the best strategy to unveil ads on premium service and then cut back on those offerings (even if it is just domestic business class that is getting hit.)
