Suspending reality, the “World’s Greatest Fliers fly American Airlines.”

Back when I started in this business, at Leo Burnett, the agency had its share of iconic clients and for the most part did iconic work for them. None more so than it’s fabled “Fly The Friendly Skies” campaign for United Airlines. At the time, the agency had just procured rights to the quintessential American anthem, Rhapsody in Blue and in my opinion there was no finer way to advertise an airline. While United has since changed agencies and themes many times over, if you fly the airline they still welcome you to the “friendly skies of United.” They can’t let it go. And why should they? It’s better than anything they’ve done since.

Regarding technology, there are three critical plot points in the 20^th century: The automobile. The airplane. And computing. For many years, nothing defined an agency better than a big car or an airline client. And Burnett was cock of the walk in that regard. Then Apple turned everything upside down.

But planes are still a big deal. And when a new campaign for one as big as American Airlines comes out, we take notice. Not like in the eighties and nineties, but still.

“The World’s Greatest Fliers Fly American,” is AA’s new theme, introduced by agency CP&B. The first thing you notice is how serene it all is. No voiceover. Just idealistic, lovely images with superimposed copy. The intent is to idealize the best in fliers, even if the reality of airline travel is anything but. Forget that today’s “fliers” wear ill-fitting sweatpants and eat stinky Whoppers from a paper bag. This campaign is a romantic myth, which, while understandable, is admittedly a push.

Still, I do like its audacious simplicity. Like a soaring eagle, the AA logo casts a shadow over the gorgeous images – the poetic titles a polite interruption. Another word that comes to mind is glossy. On gossamer wings, right?

For the most part the aviation industry has recovered from its lengthy post 9/11 slump. Many are now turning big profits. So we are not talking about saving American Airlines. But I wonder: Is this campaign enough? Will it make a difference? Will consumers change their flying behaviors or even notice at all? I’m not being coy. I really do wonder.

View the rest of the campaign in this story from Adweek.

Ten years into the 21st century, how come we’re still flying on planes from 1968?

“The Stupor-80”

Observation during the holiday travel season: How come commercial airplanes haven’t evolved in 40 or 50 years? I’m flying on the same planes I did when I was a kid. And so are you. Yeah, some have been rehabbed, their cabins reconfigured, Wi-Fi installed, but it’s still your father’s jet plane. The last American Airlines flight I was on had ashtrays built into the seats! It was an old warhorse, the Super 80, one of the most popular planes in American’s fleet. Scratch the word “popular.” I meant common. Like Pigeons. The S80 cannot possibly be popular to anyone. Narrow, short and squat, the plane flies but otherwise is a super drag. Again, like a pigeon.

Hold on Gentle Reader, for this is not a blog about the trials of air travel. God knows there are more than enough of those. What amazes me is why gains in aircraft technology have been so minimal. Most fleets literally are your father’s jet planes… even your Grandfather’s. On the American flight I took to Palm Springs the snowbird sitting next to me said he’d flown the same exact plane to Viet Nam. And it’s not just American Airlines; most carriers employ dated fleets. I’m sure it’s cheaper tweaking old planes versus building new ones but still…

What’s even stranger is that even the newest planes aren’t that different from the oldest. I wonder why. Look at how far personal computing has gone in the same time frame, say from 1960 until now: from cumbersome word processors to an endless array of digital wizardry. Yet, air travel has stayed essentially the same: metal tube, big jets, bad coffee. Where is the Ipad of personal air travel? Sir Richard Branson is taking reservations on flights to the moon but his commercial jets are pretty much the same as any other…from 1975.

Sayonara Super Sonic!

Ironically, the biggest innovation in airplane technology, the rocket-like Concorde was deemed too expensive, too loud, even too fast (!) for it’s own good, and was discontinued October, 2003.

So, did airplane technology peak in the Mad Men era? You tell me. Next time you board a plane glance into the cockpit.

Check out all those knobs and dials! Do they not resemble the corny control panels from a 50’s sci-fi movie? Hey Flash Gordon, it’s 2011.