American Airlines - The World's Greatest Fliers

American Airlines - The World's Greatest Fliers

American Airlines has rolled out a new advertising campaign that rather than emphasise features such as business class seats or the in-flight entertainment system, focuses on people. And while other airlines (for example Cathay Pacific and Swiss) have featured their staff, the American campaign is all about passengers. The tagline of the campaign is “the world’s greatest fliers fly American”, with the idea being that if you want to be a great flier, that’s the airline for you.

What do great fliers do? They fly often enough to know correct passenger etiquette, that in turn improves the in flight experience for everyone. For example, one print ad reads, “You know a smile goes a long way on a short flight. You know to ask before reclining your seat. But more importantly, you know sitting next to you would make for a more pleasant flight. In fact, you’d probably help you lift your luggage into the overhead.” While it’s a different approach, the reaction to the new campaign has been mixed . As the New York Times has pointed out, “in an era of smaller seats, longer lines and increasing fees, it is an open question how receptive travelers will be to the message that a positive air travel experience is really in their control.”

Other commentators have taken this argument one step further by claiming that American is essentially telling passengers’ that it is their fault if they are having a bad flight. The danger of this campaign is that by not promising anything, or by not making any points of difference, it could be seen to be highlighting perceived weaknesses.

The campaign will initially be running in key hubs such as Chicago, Charlotte and New York, and will feature print ads, TV spots and 15 second online video ads.