US Airways + Muslims: Final Update

Andrea Rader, Director of Corporate Communications for US Airways, assures me that her company had nothing to do with the ad I found in the Destin Beachcomber. She comments on yesterday's post. Andrea has been in the news of late, trying to assuage the outrage of Muslims following an incident in Minneapolis.

So I'm guessing it was a prankster in the Destin area, if not among the staff of the "free and fortnightly" rag. Darn! Scandal averted. Where's My Jetpack? not getting Pulitzer for investigative journalism.

Pictured here is not Andrea Rader, but an old PSA ad. PSA was bought by USAir in 1988. (They rebranded themselves as US Airways in 1996.) This ad is from 1979, a shameless era during which provocative imagery was wantonly used in advertising. Thankfully, we all learned the lesson of that failed foray: Sex Doesn't Sell.

US Airways and Muslims: Update

Looks as though Phoenix/Tempe, AZ based US Airways visited Where's My Jetpack? on numerous occasions yesterday. (Uh oh. Look out, Beachcomber staff.) Or was this a secret test ad that US Airways hoped no one would take note of? "Let's stick it in some nondescript free rag down in redneck country and see how it plays."

I have to admit that the ad is humorous in an SNL/Colbert kind of way, but in this hyper-careful PC society we inhabit, you just aren't allowed to do this sort of stuff in advertising. Leave it to the comedy shows. Or Brandspankin.

Attention US Airways PR and/or Marketing Departments: I have given you the benefit of the doubt here and truly hope you are not purposely alienating Muslims. It's time to engage in some Online Reputation Management. You're invited to comment here.

US Airways Gets Mean

Just spent a week in Destin, Florida. (City motto: "Where Midwesterners Come Because it's a Straight Shot South") We chose it because it was a good central location for an extended family reunion as revelers from various states rented a beach house and proceeded to forget the week through tequila, various colored wines and many varieties of beer. Also lots of football on TV and football on the beach. And TWO showings of Talledega Nights, which is some funny stuff.

ANYWAY, there is a "free and fortnightly" publication up there called "The Beachcomber," which you can pick up anywhere, filled with advertising, advertorial crap and schedules for bad bands in worse bars.

I'm fairly sure US Airways had nothing to do with this ad and they've probably already received some angry phone calls for it, but it sure does jump off the page of this December 14th issue of the local rag. I would guess The Beachcomber staff are in trouble for this one.