Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Brand Suicide, Communication Strategy, Crap Campaigns In History, Creativity, Flying, Holiday, Imagination, Marketing, Marketing Fail
So I was at the tube station recently when I saw this …
Seriously … what the hell is this rubbish?
Do they honestly believe people will believe this?
That they can get on the plane and either:
1. Tell the pilot where they want to go, regardless where the plane is supposed to be going.
Or …
2. Tell the pilot which way to go, like they’re in a cab?
What the hell is wrong with these airlines?
I mean I thought that horrific Lufthansa ad was peak crap, but this is possibly even worse.
At the very least, it’s a tie for plane crash advertising … though, to be fair, Etihad only have one stupid statement on their ad compared to their German competitor, who not only talks about ‘air travel engineered around you’ [lie] but follows it up by suggesting the experience on their plane is better than having a drink on a roof top bar at sunset. [another lie]
Alright … alright … I admit I have an allegiance to Virgin Atlantic after years of working on their ads and having a close relationship with some of the people at the company, but not only have I never proposed making work that suggests the passenger is in control of where they go or how they fly, I know if I did they’d not only not buy it, they’d fire me on the spot.
What are Etihad thinking?
Who is advising them on this rubbish?
Why is it the best airlines – Virgin Atlantic and S7 and occasionally, Delta aside – have the worst advertising?
There is so much to write about air travel.
There is so much to talk about what it enables people to see, feel, experience and learn.
I once read a stat that said air travel is the only method of transportation that has reduced in price [based on average incomes] over the years. Or said another way, airlines are more effective at helping cultures interact and learn about each other than the United Nations.
But what do they end up saying?
Nothing.
They say nothing other than bland lies that no one will believe.
I can help you Etihad. I want to help you. You’re a great airline that deserves so much better.
Call me … I won’t even ask for free upgrades. Probably.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, America, Anniversary, Attitude & Aptitude, Brand Suicide, Corporate Evil, Culture, Flying, London, Management, Politics
Following on from yesterday’s post about Concorde I thought I’d post a sign I saw hanging in the ‘food preparation area’ of an old British Airways plane …
The fact smoking was once allowed on planes is amazing.
The fact they had to remind staff not to smoke while preparing food is mind-blowing.
But they did … because back then, having staff not smoke while preparing food was classed as ‘hygienic’, regardless of the fact being stuck on a plane with cigarette smoke working its way through the cabin at 30,000 feet was not.
Thank god those days have changed …
And that’s the thing with history, you often look at it and wonder, ‘what the hell were people thinking?’ but then you look around at the state of the World today and you realise we’re still making stupid decisions.
Whether it’s brexit or the rise of nationalism, millions of people are making decisions as stupid as allowing smoking on a plane.
Or smoking in general.
Of course, this is ultimately fueled by individuals who claim to be acting in societies best interests but are really getting the masses to act in ways that suit their own personal agenda … be it for money, fame or ego.
There’s an old proverb that says ‘those who forget history are destined to make the same mistake again’. Personally I think that needs updating to “those who only remember the bits of history that suit them are destined to lead us all into the shit”.
People will claim this is democracy, but it’s not really.
Apart from the fact anyone can win anything if you lie through your teeth, true democracy requires EVERYONE’S opinion to be heard. Maybe it’s time we follow Australia’s lead and say it is a requirement that everyone votes on issues of national importance. Maybe if that happened and people still voted for Brexit [albeit with issues that were true rather than fear mongering] the country would be less broken apart.
It won’t happen. Too many people with power and money will make sure that’s the case … and that is why anyone who still thinks we live in a democracy better not complain when decisions go against them.
Sorry, I got ranty there, I’m just so angry someone like Boris Johnson has got what he wanted regardless of the cost to everyone else. He and his cronies should be charged as enemies of the country … which may happen once everyone see’s the damage a No Deal Brexit has on their everyday life.
Oh, before I go and have a lie down … a little message to Dave.
Mate, I know today is a hard day for you. As usual, we are all thinking of you and will give you a call later.
Big hugs.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Comment, Communication Strategy, Culture, Emotion, Experience, Flying
I fly a lot.
I have flown a lot for a very long time.
And still, I am not sick of it.
OK, that period of flying to America every week got to me, but generally, I love the feeling of flying – even though now, as a Dad, it makes me slightly more panicky just in case something happens.
I have to say of all the flights I do, long-haul are my favourite.
Part of this is because I sleep very, very easily on planes and so I get more rest on a plane than I do at home.
Part of this is because I get to watch movies uninterrupted, something that stopped happening when Otis was born.
Part of this is long-haul flights are my ‘normal’, so I don’t see them as long – just flying.
But of all the planes I have flown, I never got to do it on Concorde.
Maybe it’s because my Dad’s dream was to fly on it to NYC.
Maybe it’s because it entered mainstream service when I was at an impressionable age.
Maybe it’s because it flew at twice the speed of sound and so high, that you could see the curvature of the earth.
Regardless of the fact it was – in essence – the first rocket ship for public use, there has always been something about Concorde that was magical to me.
To be honest, I’m not sure why …
It was so quick I wouldn’t be able to enjoy a good sleep.
It was small – only 100 passengers – so I’d feel a bit claustrophobic.
The windows were so minute, you wouldn’t ever get a decent view unless you were next to it.
But regardless of all that, it was a magnificent machine … the likes of which, especially in domestic air travel, may never be seen again.
A few weeks ago, I got to see one.
Not a picture.
Not a model.
A real, refurbished one.
And I have to say, it was pretty emotional.
They had done it very well and in addition to giving you a good history of the rise and fall of the plane, they even included a ‘virtual flying experience’ that was pretty realistic.
However at the end, they showed a video of the last Concorde flight coming into land – Union Jacks flying from the pilots windows – and you felt a real sense of loss.
I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s true …
Concorde was different.
Concorde was ahead of its time.
Concorde was the embodiment of the glamour of flying.
And while she was noisy, environmentally unfriendly, hideously expensive and the subject of a terrible crash [which, to be fair, was caused by the fault of another plane rather than herself] there was something magic about that plane and while I didn’t get to fly on her, it means a lot to me that I got to sit in her.
Thanks Concorde, you could teach a lot of companies a thing or two about capturing an audiences imagination.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Comment, Flying, Food
This also explains why after years of being on planes and being asked “beef or chicken”, everything always tasted like chicken.
Or a salted, mild version of chicken.