First Class is for Commoners

While browsing through the pages of Stratos, “the premiere in-flight magazine for corporate and private jets,” (tagline: Journey Beyond First-Class) I was intrigued by this ad for HondaJet, which unlike all the other private jet ads in Stratos, does not feature an arrogant woman in big sunglasses and a short skirt carrying shopping bags as she struts across the tarmac to her waiting plane. Or some silver-haired asshole CEO stepping off the plane with his perfect family, Junior even sporting a sweater tied around his shoulders, his polo shirt tucked into his khakis. (Yes, these ads were in the same issue.) Or they go for the "plane banking in the clouds" shot, which has been done only a million times.

Simple headline, simple line of copy. A shot of the plane and a nice (albeit clichéd and contrived) photo illustrating one reason why a person of extreme means might want a plane. Phone number, website, logo. Done.

It's not exceptional, but it beat the hell out of anything else in the magazine just because it didn't follow the formula.

I knew Honda was really adept at making long lasting cars and lawnmowers and has even been branching into the sure-to-be-lucrative android slave market, but jets? Cool.