Thoughts on VS's new TV ad

Give us better food, better seats/legroom and better service than the rest, and you will be full, without ads.

I booked |(and subsequently flew) my first ever flight with NZ a few months back based purely on the feedback on from this site. I was totally overwhelmed with the product.Clean aircraft, great food and drink, nice seat and professional mature crew. A great experience .
I've still not seen an ad/trailer for NZ (they must exist ?:) )
DL
PS The flight was rammed full but didn't seem crowded .

[honey lamb]

I've still not seen an ad/trailer for NZ (they must exist ?:) )
DL

Oh tut, DL! Surely you remember this? Admittedly it is not for their product but will still make you think of them

I think the ads great, now having watched it a few times ... sexy, sassy, obviously a bit tongue in cheek and camp (especially when the two male FAs eye each other up while following the captain) and totally false at the same time. Very stylish.

I can get it that many won't like it though.

I've still not seen an ad/trailer for NZ (they must exist ?:) )
.

Air NZ Nothing To Hide Commercial Here

I think if VS did something like this showing a little more of the service and product they would have a more effective commercial although i do like the new Ad

I like it. Fresh and funky with an awesome soundtrack.
I do however think that if someone watched it who had never flown VS before and then flew on a LGW 744 next week, they would be hugely disappointed.

I know this will all change after the refits, but there's going to be a big gap between now and then when the onboard experience just doesn't match up to what's being advertised!

Oh, and I think the new livery looks great on the Airbus. In my opinion the font and sizing suits the fusalage shape much better than the 744!


Matt

The ad is intended to represent what it feels like to fly VS - I don't think it needs to show the product at all. Everyone knows what a seat looks like - and quite frankly it would hardly be Virgin style to have a mundane advert showing the differences between Y W and J seats.

You have the Drive-thru check-in represented, on board food (prawns), on board bar (cocktail), the ice cream for your movies, and the sleeping on a cloud obviously the upper class bed. It's all there without the need to show the existing product - potentially because it will all be changed for the new aircraft?

I've still not seen an ad/trailer for NZ (they must exist ?:) )
DL

Oh tut, DL! Surely you remember this? Admittedly it is not for their product but will still make you think of them

No! I've missed this somehow .

Well six million a few years ago would have seen Odyssey replaced by V-Port on the 343's one of which I travel back from DEL on Wednesday

Like the campaign though - everything I'd like VS to be and once was - Can we get back there please

[honey lamb]

I saw the chaps pole dancing, Was Honey Lamb involved? she has some experience !

How did I know you would pick up on that, tonty?

I think the last bit should have been "Was that Tinkerbelle? "

I really don't like the new ad. It's borderline seedy.
Shame.

the best airline ad i have seen in ages has to be This Or This

[honey lamb]

the best airline ad i have seen in ages has to be This Or This

I've been a big fan of the Frontier ads for a long time. They're fun but this VS ad is sleek in a way the Frontier ads could never be

The new ad is great, Carn't wait to fly new A330 next June. A pleasure i hope.

[RichardMannion]

Regardless of the advert quality, there is an old adage of not forgetting your existing customer base. Why knock out 6 million trying to lure new customers if you have churn elsewhere that is greater. Luring customers, and then disappointing them with a service that is below that is alluded to in the advert is clearly a recipe for disaster. Innovate with the product again, get it consistent across the fleet and then advertise it.

[HighFlyer]

I don't really like it, its just too far fetched and the part with the shirt-ripping crew member isn't what i'd choose as an image to promote my airline in 2010. As others have said, the money would have been better improving the onboard experience, then who needs fantasy advertisements when your basic product speaks volumes.

Sorry, but do not like !

You guys astound me!

£6m wouldn't touch the sides to improve the fleet. The new planes are incoming with brand new everything, the advert is clearly promoting the upper class cabin, which generally across the fleet isn't as bad as you're all making out.

[RichardMannion]

You guys astound me!

£6m wouldn't touch the sides to improve the fleet. The new planes are incoming with brand new everything, the advert is clearly promoting the upper class cabin, which generally across the fleet isn't as bad as you're all making out.

I'd disagree - 6m would allow for quite a few improvements. The UC product (I mean end to end now, as it's meant to be an experience) has seen a continued diluted since it was launched in 2003 (and to be a point of reference I've been flying in UC since 2001, and was there at the launch event of the new UCS way back in 2003 along with Pete). Coupled that with a perceived slide in overall staff demeanours (not all mind you) and it is no longer class leading. Other airlines have continued with the required investment in the products and have overtaken the UC service.

I'm a little out of sync with the new plane deliveries, when are they? I remember all the glitzy campaign for the launch of UCS, and it took years for it to be on all planes and even then there were sizeable variations (IFE on LGW/MAN fleet anyone?).

I'd call it asterisk marketing - major claim and allusion but with an asterisk of a small print clause that lists all the exceptions.

YThe new planes are incoming with brand new everything, the advert is clearly promoting the upper class cabin, which generally across the fleet isn't as bad as you're all making out.

We're going to have to wait many years for the new interiors now, all been a bit of a feck up with changes in the fleet, and lack of proper planning.

In the meantime, 6m quid could be spent on loads of improvements, like contributing to putting IFE on the remaining 343s that will now be around for five years.

I have just seen it on the VS website after being sick for the past few days and I got to say, I love it. Very James Bond like in theme and it's pretty cool.

I'm unsure if the new VS uniforms are real or not but I hope so, the velvety neck scarf looks rather good.

YThe new planes are incoming with brand new everything, the advert is clearly promoting the upper class cabin, which generally across the fleet isn't as bad as you're all making out.

We're going to have to wait many years for the new interiors now, all been a bit of a feck up with changes in the fleet, and lack of proper planning.

In the meantime, 6m quid could be spent on loads of improvements, like contributing to putting IFE on the remaining 343s that will now be around for five years.

The "lack of proper planning" to which you're referring is completely incorrect. You have Airbus to blame for the "feck up".

The new ad is obviously a major success on this board

Lots of attention and comment - we are talking about Publicity here!

I do think those responsible in Virgin should be proud of it - like previous ads. it's going to be noticed!

I also agree, however, that VS must be soon seen to be investing in their product - and investing in the loyalty of their regular customers.

The advert is going to be screened during a commercial break of Downton Abbey tonight on ITV1.

[Nottingham Nick]

The same industry website that I got the £6mill figure from, say that they also spent £10million on the 'Still Red Hot' campaign, which wasn't a global roll out.

Personally, I don't believe that this type of marketing gives a good return. SRB used to be the master of free publicity that got the brand noticed and into people's consciousness. The current dancing FA video that Tink linked to in another thread shows that there is big publicity to be had for a minimal outlay still.

£16 million is not a drop in anyone's ocean IMHO, it could have bought a lot of plane cleaners, an awful lot of quality food, maybe a couple of IFE systems, and a clubouse or two??


Nick

The "lack of proper planning" to which you're referring is completely incorrect. You have Airbus to blame for the "feck up".

So, planning a new UCS then buying interim aircraft into which it won't fit is Airbuses fault :w ?