Filed under: Advertising, Airports, Attitude & Aptitude, Crap Campaigns In History, Perfume
Over the years, I’ve written a bunch about perfume advertising.
How it must be the equivalent of an architect being asked to design a building in China or Dubai – because absolutely anything goes.
At the other end of the spectrum is airport advertising.
Like perfume ads, the goal is not to really sell … but to create illusion and impression.
A way to drive awareness or influence with a captive audience.
And while there are the odd moments of magic – like the Gentle Monster face I worked on – the vast majority are beige-as-batshit ads for banks, universities and fashion houses.
Of course they don’t think that, as I saw recently, they consider themselves the creme de la creme of prestigious ad placement …
Now don’t get me wrong, getting on a plane still has some element of glamour attached – a teensy bit – but a picture of a plane with the words ‘creative advertising’ under it hardly does them service.
And yet, like perfume advertising, there are some who think normal rules do not apply.
While in Croatia, I saw this piece of insanity …
What the fuck?
I mean, I know airports get all sorts of people passing through them.
And, as I said, ads in airport are more about awareness than driving immediate sales.
But … but … an ad for a war plane?
Who is going to pass through an airport and go, “oh yes, that would be perfect for the military coup I’m considering igniting”
Hell, even if it was in Duty Free with a 30% discount, I doubt you’d have to beat people off with a shitty stick to buy one.
And what the hell does ‘Challenge. Create. Outperform.’ even mean?
Then there’s ‘unbeatable combination’.
What’s that then … plane and death?
I am so confused and can only say that whoever bought/sold this ad, is either a genius, a maniac or a dictator.