If you had the opportunity to fly first class for free from the UK to NYC, what would you be willing to put up with in return? Would it bother you if the airplane was absolutely covered in ads both inside and out? If the ads were piped in over the sound system? If ads were constantly playing on the video screens? If every thing that could have an advertiser did, would that bother you? Would it be worth the free flight?
Publicitair is a new airline whose service is entirely paid by advertising revenue, offering consumers a free first class flight in exchange for their undivided attention:
The concept itself is straightforward enough: generate finance from advertisers, brands and agencies, and offset the resulting revenue against the operating costs of a long haul flight.
Currently tickets are available only by lottery and the plane is planned to fly only once per month. The first flight will be scheduled only when the necessary advertising revenue is obtained. So not only are customers subjected to 9 hours of advertising, they’re not sure when they’ll be able to fly (if they will). Is all this hassle worth a free first class ticket?
I tend to use flights as an opportunity to catch up on reading (or napping). Does the requirement for undivided attention mean that you have to pay attention to the advertising for 9 hours? Is that type of brain strain good for the brands advertising? If I had to watch ads for 9 hours, I’d be pretty angry…
Not surprisingly, the idea for the airline comes from a marketing agency, Renegade Media. Whether they intend for this to be an actual business or just a publicity stunt is up for debate. There also are no flight dates yet (nor an airport in the UK for departure), so time will tell if this idea ever actually gets up off the ground.
Would you be willing to fly for free if it required your undivided attention for 9 hours?
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Technorati tags: advertising, marketing, business, public relations