In the age of social media one company's PR nightmare can be another's dream marketing opportunity, as proved by the new Emirates "Friendly Skies" ad. United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz took a swipe at Emirates (and other carriers from the region) in a recent interview. The airline responded with a video listing its most recent awards from TripAdvisor. It ended with a sly dig that puts a twist on United's famous "Fly the Friendly Skies" slogan.
The Emirates "Friendly Skies" commercial is noteworthy for a few reasons. The first is that it directly calls out a competitor, something many major companies avoid doing. The second is for its timeliness. United's deplaning controversy occurred only a few days ago and Emirates (and other airlines) are already moving to capitalize off of it.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Competitor Call-out Ads
- Opportunity for companies to directly reference and critique competitors in marketing campaigns.
- Real-time Marketing
- Utilizing current events and news to shape marketing strategies and promotions.
- Social Media Opportunism
- Leveraging social media platforms to capitalize on competitors' PR crises for marketing purposes.
Sectors Adopting This
- Airlines
- Airlines can use competitor call-out ads to differentiate themselves and attract customers.
- Marketing and Advertising
- Real-time marketing presents opportunities for agencies to create innovative campaigns that capture audience attention.
- Social Media Platforms
- Social media platforms can provide new avenues for companies to promote and advertise their brand during rival companies' crises.
