New VS TV ad - 2 Jan 09

[Nottingham Nick]

Link to website.

At the risk of being negative, I still think that in the day and age of Sky plus etc. TV advertising is a huge waste of money during a credit crunch / recession. VS would be far better spending the money improving their product IMHO.

Nick

[RichardMannion]

I do agree!

And WTF is this rubbish on the Upper Class tab:

Experience our cutting edge, ultra-efficient
terminal before you get to the airport

So the terminal isn't the airport?

[Scrooge]

Very true, but still a great Ad [y]

However the both of you know the VS marketing team, never let the facts get in the way of a good line.

[RichardMannion]

Sorry, don't like the ad at all. Are they trying to sell a flight, or that they hire a stereotype for the crew? Call me old fashioned, but I want someone who is going to deliver good service on a flight, not a wannabe-WAG.

Love how they show Jersey Girl - a LGW 747 with old p/e seats[;)]

David

[Scrooge]

Richard, they are selling what VS marketing normally sells, brand image.

Wouldn't an Upper Class sale go nicely with the ad? [:w]

[Nottingham Nick]

I have to admit, I don't like the ad. It doesn't mention the Clubhouse, Suites, VS destinations or any other selling points. The main message seems to be 'don't our crew look wonderful?'

I assume its purpose is to encourage people to fly VS rather than another airline. I don't think it will sway people in this regard one iota.

It is well made, and obviously cost a lot of money. Yet another example of style over substance IMHO.


Nick

[buns]

If the message of the ad is 'Look how far life has changed in 25 years' (use of 1st G mobile phones and the like) then one might be challenged to reflect on how the VS product has diminished changed over that time[:w]

BTW Mrs Buns has received an E-Mail from VS, but not me[:?]

buns

I have to say, I really liked the ad. Took me back to 1984 and reminded me of how awful air travel was before Virgin took to the skies. A great nostalgic trip. Every airline says how great they are and what they do. This is a really good angle and it makes a change from the 'conventional' ad

I think it's quite clever really, it shows how bright and innovative VS were when they started. The problem is that the substantive innovation from VS seems to have dried up and the competition has either caught up or over taken them. On that basis it could be argued that the ad relies to heavily on past glories and not enough on why we should use them today.

Like others we're seriously considering using BA for our J flight next month to NY (depending on sale prices of course) as some of the new CW features look and sound quite inviting especially after reading LROMs TR to SIN.

Having said that I still think their PE offering is still better than the competition, especially at the current sale prices, which is why we're using them in June to Washington. As others have said though VS are no longer the only horse in the race competing for our business.

Miopyk[8D]

PS - This should be rather worrying for VS if their 'fan club' is left wanting and unimpressed by this campaign, what will ordinary Joe's on the street think?

The ad is really a reflection of VS currently. Style, but no substance.Nostalgia is wonderful but unfortunately the VS of the 1980s/90s bears no resemblance to the VS of the present. VS seduced me twenty years ago, and I loved them. I was absolutely besotted.
Times have changed and so has VS.
Sadly, I'm no longer besotted.

Oh dear, its a gloomy start to '09 ... such negativity...

But least maybe tempted to fly with a carrier that puts its crews personal appearance before customer care?? or have I missed the point??

Topical wording in SRB's letter.....
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/25thbirthday.jsp

[HighFlyer]

I think its dreadful. My stance may be different as I am female, but I'm really not interested in attractive crew, I want tenured crew that can deliver good service, and this advert just sums up to me precisely where VS are going wrong compared to BA. Sell your product, not your crew as dolly birds.

Thanks,
Sarah

[Decker]

Next stop a Pirelli Calendar...

[honey lamb]

quote:Originally posted by HighFlyer
I think its dreadful. My stance may be different as I am female, but I'm really not interested in attractive crew, I want tenured crew that can deliver good service, and this advert just sums up to me precisely where VS are going wrong compared to BA.

Thanks,
Sarah

I agree. If you recall any of the BA ads in the past it was always about service in the cabins. That ad might have been fine 25 years ago but not in this day and age when good service is the key

quote:Originally posted by northernhenry
Topical wording in SRB's letter.....
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/25thbirthday.jsp

I much prefer the wording in the letter to the advert - can't say the advert actually impresses me that much at all..

Cheers
Michael

I don't know if the advert sells the product to me, but I think it's very well done (although I thought those mobiles didn't come in until about 87).
Although, I think the advert may sell the product to people who havn't flown VS before. There are people who do choose VS for the 'celebrity factor' and glamour and even though they didn't know why, the coolness. I know thats why I first flew them back in 97.

Nowadays, after flying much more frequently I have to concur with Sarah, I want experience service and comfort*

*okay, and ust a little bit of glamour...[:D]

[Neil]

I'm with Dean, I think the ad could work very well at attracting new customers. We started flying Virgin because of its brand image and I think the ad really plays on that well and I actually really like it. Nowadays I think adverts are becoming stranger and stranger and very few actually sell a product well, it is more about getting the brand in the public's thoughts in the most stand out way possible, which for me this does.

Neil

[Scrooge]

exactly right, this ad is just a straight glamour piece, as such it does a good job. There have been other ad's run that show the various products and honestly, what has changed other than cuts and well showing those isn't going to help.

I guess they really can't run a product ad anyways as, well it wouldn't stack up well right now.

So yeah a gloomy start to the year.

But I still like it for what it is.

[RichardMannion]

So run a glamour ad, possibly attract some new customers but what happens after they have actually taken a flight?

[Neil]

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
So run a glamour ad, possibly attract some new customers but what happens after they have actually taken a flight?


Well I imagine a good % of them will be happy and continue to fly VS. Surely VS must be doing some things right still otherwise they would have gone out of business?. This surely leads back to the 'deserting VS is droves' thread and everyone's own opinions on what we want from a flight and what VS are offering.

A tv ad has a short period of time to tempt potential customers, with the style VS have decided to use (its supposed cool brand image) as an ad, it works well. Yes, the could have gone down the 'how good is our CH/IFE/seat/on board service' etc but would that have worked as well at attracting new customers? Maybe, but maybe not and then they would have been criticised for been too boring, or not trendy enough.

[RichardMannion]

Simple question then - Are VS as good/innovative as they used to be?

I'd say no. I think others have caught up, and in some aspects surpassed them. The penny-pinching has taken its toll. Don't get me wrong, they are still a good carrier but no longer class leading. Given that 49% of VS is owned by SQ, I think a secondment by people at various levels between the companies would deliver some interesting results.

Simple answer- no [^]

Regards
Bryan