British Airways has a long, proud history of lousy advertising. Their losing streak continues with this radio commercial.
What do you picture when you think of “London”? Some guy giving a tedious tour?
And those idiotic, unrealistic tourists hanging on his every word? Guess whom they’re supposed to represent?
The target audience.
This commercial tells us the tour guide’s story (albeit in a patently, insultingly fake manner). It should be telling the story of the targeted listener, visiting London via British Airways. And more importantly, showing us the results those targeted listeners will experience.
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I listened to it twice and thought it was just a not-so-great commercial about visiting London. You would never know it was a commercial for British Airways unless you listen very carefully in the last few seconds. There are several ways to get to London, and British Airways is not the first way I think of (being an American and all that). I think they’re assuming that if you visit London, you’re going to take British Airways. Just my two cents. Dan Ratcliffe, WFSH Atlanta
I’ve noticed that British Airways commercials seem to convey the message that they think they and Britain are the exact same thing. Sort of like if Microsoft tried to portray that they are America in their commercials instead of portraying that they think they are the world… Uh…
You walk on the tight wire and are so insulated you may not see that you fell off the wire and are injured..The one time “British Airways” is mentioned I have already tune out…Radio-B.A. Think Radio listeners..in cars… Start the spot with “British Airways Tours” with more listener care…Righto Dan
From the main intersection in my village of 1500, you can see the arms of a windmill down there to the south. Lots of teens hang out there in the summer. In back of you is Lake Michigan…you can’t see across it…and the CoOperative Exchange over there brings in trucks and trucks of corn in the fall.
Gee, London has a lot in common with my town…and just about any other place I can think of. The locals can tell you all about it…if you’re interested in the first place. This commercial fails to interest me, though, because it hasn’t sparked any recall in my mind…I just didn’t picture myself there, so it hasn’t sparked any emotional reactions.
Now, if the narrator related how a couple visiting just last week were riding “the eye” when he found the situation just too perfect to pass by…he proposed, and then they discovered a beautiful ring in that jewelry store just as the bells of Winchester Cathedral rang out, I might pay more attention, because it happened to a visitor…like me. (or at least, the visitor I want to become, because wonderful things happen to visitors there). As is, the commercial has all the motivation of a BBC documentary. Too bad.
And as an aside…I completely forgot this was about British Airways until after writing the response and reading other comments. Man! If the spot couldn’t even “cement” the advertiser into my mind…well, there’s a good waste of Euro’s!
So, BA is trying to get me to fly their airline over any other because someone who lives in London has memories? Wow.
What’s wrong with this commercial? Its different and stands out, that is for sure. I agree that the message is muddled, I wasn’t sure if it was an ad to promote tourism to London, or an airline commercial. It was a confusing combination of both.
In the end – isn’t the point of an ad to get people talking about the product? They may have missed the mark in their ad, but here is another free ad for British Airways here in your post. Regardless of positive or negative comments about their ad content. In my mind, they win.
Andy, I don’t think that ad is being talked about by lay people in the sense that the public may talk about an ad that shocks or provokes. So far, it’s just you Dan and me…and the only reason we’re talking about it is because we’re “in the industry”. Quite frankly, for a company like British Airways, that ad is brutal. If I hadn’t seen the picture that went with the post, nor read the commentary prior to that, I’m not sure I would’ve known what or who that ad was for.”
You can debate whether the performances were good and/or believable. The problem is the spot spent all its time persuading me to visit London. Instead it should have persuaded me to get there on a British Airways flight. What’s the action the spot is showing me to do? “Visit London.” How will I get there? “Hmmm… Let me think…. Oh, I hear United has nonstop flights. Maybe I’ll see if Priceline or Orbitz has any good deals.” :-S Get the point?
It’s not an ad for BA. It’s an ad for visitlondon.com!
I agree with Mr. Burton. I don’t think it’s an ad for BA at all, although there may be some sort of co-op deal with visitlondon.com involved.
That commercial is trying to have some call to action but it’s all over the place. They didn’t do a very good job “selling” England, never mind selling the product—which is a ticket to the uk specifically through british airways. Why choose them over another flight service?
This is NOT an advert for British Airways, so I think – on this occasion – your criticism of BA is very unfair.
This is an advert for Visit London, which includes a BA offer in a very poor advert.
By all means deconstruct the ad, but don’t tar BA with it.
By the way – I don’t work for BA, have no link to them, indeed think they’re an underperforming airline. Just don’t like undue criticism of anybody!
Cheers
@ Anonymous: You’re right. I missed that — which means I can be blamed for not realizing it.
It also further demonstrates, I think, how lousy the spot is. I strongly suspect almost everyone who hears it will “hear” it as a British Airways commercial and not even notice the Call To Action at the end (to go to the website of the advertiser).
Thanks for correcting my oversight.
Sorry Dan, in this case I have to disagree.
IF this advt and others in a similar series played over a period of time, then IF I was at some point in the future thinking of visiting Britain (of which London is of course a SPECIFIC point destination) Then http://www.visitlondon.com would very possibly be the first place I’d go.
A commercial should be judged on it’s effectiveness. So in this case, as with the Colorado ski packages one a couple of weeks ago, I am disappointed Dan that you did not do the research to see if the advt campaign actually worked. After all that IS the test of a good advertisement is it not? Did it deliver the listeners to the client?
That commercial just didn’t do it for me.. Don’t beat around the bush when you’re trying to sell a product. I want to know immediately who the advertiser is, what it is they’re selling.