So a few months ago, I flew Swiss Air for the first time.
To be fair, it was pretty good … but the thing that got me was the poster in Zurich airport before I took off. This poster …
Look, I get Switzerland is full of beautiful scenery.
I get Switzerland is famous for very expensive, highly engineered, watches.
BUT I DON’T WANT TO SEE A PHOTO OF A PLANE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS SECONDS FROM CRASH LANDING INTO A DESOLATE MOUNTAIN RANGE.
No bloody wonder their logo looks similar to the bloody Red Cross [yes, I know the real reason, so ssssssh] because based on this poster … they’re saying their pilots fly like fucking lunatics and you may crash and need saving.
From a mountain.
In the snow.
I totally understand most airline ads feature generic photos of a plane in the sky, and showing a plane inches from hitting a mountain peak in the middle of absolutely nowhere definitely differentiates them from the masses, however – and it’s a relatively important ‘however’ – I don’t think it does much for them in terms of audience appeal.
Then it doesn’t do much for promoting the ‘precision’ of their very expensive watches either.
Mind you, given Zurich is so horrendously boring, maybe a plane crash would add some much needed excitement to the country. Maybe.
28 Comments
Bet you flew at the front end of the plane. Blagger.
Comment by DH January 14, 2016 @ 6:37 amDo you know Robert always asks for an economy meal except when he flies VA, who pander to him likes he’s Richard Branson?
Comment by George January 14, 2016 @ 6:43 amTell me you’re joking. On both counts.
Comment by DH January 14, 2016 @ 6:48 amWell he used to. Not sure about now.
Comment by George January 14, 2016 @ 6:56 amDoesn’t matter, still stupid. And so are virgin. (Sorry Lee, but what are you thinking?)
Comment by DH January 14, 2016 @ 7:06 amIt probably makes him feel less guilty for living a life he doesn’t deserve. He’s wrong. 😉
Comment by Bazza January 14, 2016 @ 7:17 amI’m wondering how Robert got all these perks on VA when I was the one doing all the work.
Comment by Pete January 14, 2016 @ 7:37 amYou worked with Rob for how many years and you’ve still not worked that out? Shame on you Pete.
Comment by Bazza January 14, 2016 @ 7:43 amI still do George. Except – as you said – on Virgin, mainly because they make me food that’s just for me … food that economy passengers would turn down. You can take the boy out of Nottingham but you can’t take Nottingham [food taste] out of the boy.
Comment by Rob January 14, 2016 @ 7:58 amOnly thing that comforts me is people at the front of planes are at the greatest risk of dying if a plane crashes. Or I should say people at the back will die 1 second later than the people at the front. Cheery tonight aren’t I.
Comment by DH January 14, 2016 @ 6:39 am“We want to feature one of our planes and some Swiss landscape together in one image to clearly communicate our Swiss essence. Even if it looks unappealing to fliers.” The blinkered nature of the modern marketer.
Comment by George January 14, 2016 @ 6:48 amBoring airline for boring people. You should fly them more often Rob.
Comment by Billy Whizz January 14, 2016 @ 7:04 amThis might be the most dangerous thing the Swiss have ever done. Except hide money for the nazis.
Comment by Bazza January 14, 2016 @ 7:14 amWould that be the same Swiss watches whose sales are nose-diving?
Comment by Duncan January 14, 2016 @ 7:32 amOut of date technology.
Comment by Bazza January 14, 2016 @ 7:45 amMaybe I’m post rationalising it – or maybe I’m just too thick to get it straight away – but do you think they’re showing the plane flying so close to the mountain range because of ‘the precision of swiss watches’?
God, I think they are … which makes it even more tragic I didn’t really grasp that, but not quite as tragic as the people behind it thinking this is a good way to attract passengers to their airline.
Comment by Rob January 14, 2016 @ 7:56 amHow did you become the head of planning?
Comment by DH January 14, 2016 @ 8:00 amBeats me.
Comment by Rob January 14, 2016 @ 8:04 amUltimate blagging.
Comment by DH January 14, 2016 @ 8:22 amThat’s terrible. Not as bad as the KFC promotion launch on September 11th, but that was at least bad coincidence. Someone decided to do this. I think George nailed it with his blinkered comment.
Comment by Pete January 14, 2016 @ 7:36 amThe big apple crumble? You know they also launched the towering inferno burger on the same day as well?
Comment by Rob January 14, 2016 @ 7:58 amIs that real?
Comment by George January 14, 2016 @ 10:55 amYes. Terrible, terrible coincidence. It was pulled within hours of it’s release for obvious reasons.
Comment by Rob January 14, 2016 @ 12:47 pmSwiss mechanical watches are actually less accurate that a shitty casio quartz, so basically they’re saying they’re not going to run on rime…and they’re overpriced bits of fluff for people with more money than sense.
Comment by northern January 14, 2016 @ 5:51 pmMind you, more money than sense can also means owning more than 100 grasping at youth t-shirts (or pink cycle shoes maybe)
Nice save with the pink shoe reference. Or you might have been in trouble. I am from Nottingham you know.
Comment by Rob January 14, 2016 @ 6:33 pmSelf deprecation always works
Comment by northern January 14, 2016 @ 9:35 pmThe first thing that came to my mind when I saw this was “Germanwings”.
Comment by Ste January 14, 2016 @ 6:58 pmAnd definitely not in a “Germans are precise too” way.
I’m glad that of all things in that airport you picked on this and not my client, ha.
Comment by andreea January 14, 2016 @ 11:24 pm