Ad Nut
Nov 7, 2018

'Fly Better' says Emirates—and do stop gawping at the air hostesses

The Dubai-based airline celebrates 33 years in the skies with a new campaign showing off what it calls "a bold new brand promise".

Emirates has released a new campaign with the tagline 'Fly Better' and an ad spot directed by Australia's Michael Gracey, director of The Greatest Showman

It features a passenger settling into his seat and being greeted by a personalised video message from an Emirates air hostess, who then launches into a slick dance routine complete with costume changes and role switches as a Bollywood dancer, a samurai swordswoman, a football player and a hip hop dancer, meant to show off the range of options available on Emirates' in-flight entertainment system, 'ice'. 

As far as representing the airline's promise to deliver top-quality travel experiences, it does the job. We're reminded in the press release that Emirates was the first airline to introduce personal screens in every class, bring bars and shower spas on planes and introduce "game changing" products like "virtual windows". (Ad Nut is not on board with this. Next it will be virtual nuts.) Whether the 'Fly Better' campaign is truly a "bold new brand promise", as the airline claims, however, seems questionable. 

Ad Nut also has an objection to the hammy acting in the spot's final sequence, where the air hostess featured on-screen appears in real life to deliver the passenger a drink. Unless this is going to be an experience available to every passenger (or even every passenger in the upper classes), it seems like false advertising.

The reaction of the woman accompanying the male passenger, which Emirates calls its "trademark light humour", is also cringeworthy. Seeing him staring open-mouthed at the hostess, she leans over and pushes his chin closed to remind him to stop looking so — surprised? Lecherous? Idiotic? — before shaking her head at the air hostess as if to say 'Huh, men. What can you do?!' Whatever, it's embarrasing. 

A print ad from the campaign
 
Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.

 

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

13 hours ago

Google cuts 200 jobs in a core business unit

The redundancies are in a department responsible for sales and partnerships and part of a broader cost-cutting move as Google invests $75 billion in AI and data centres.

14 hours ago

Why sports marketing should lean into intimate, ...

In a world shaped by Gen Z and hyper-local engagement, the winning brands aren’t the loudest—they’re the ones that create authentic experiences that foster belonging and build trust.

14 hours ago

Is AI financially beneficial for agencies?

AI promises speed, efficiency—and fewer billable hours. So why are ad agencies investing millions in a tool that threatens their bottom line? Campaign Red digs into the tension between progress and profit.

15 hours ago

How Want Want cracked Japan’s competitive confection...

Campaign speaks to Tony Chang of the iconic Taiwanese food brand to learn about the brand’s strategy in penetrating the Japanese market, and the challenges of localisation.