# Adversarial Airline Ads The New Emirates 'Friendly Skies' Spot Highlights United's Recent Troubles By Michael Hines | Published 2017-04-12 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emirates-friendly-skies References: [businessinsider](http://www.businessinsider.com/emirates-united-airlines-ceo-feud-2017-4) & [emirates](https://www.emirates.com/SessionHandler.aspx?pub=/us/english&pageurl=/IBE.aspx§ion=IBE&TID=SB&resultby=2&j=f&showpage=true&seldcity1=XXX&selacity1=XXX&selddate1=&seladate1=&bsp=Special%20Fares&selcabinclass=0&showsearch=true&gclid=CjwKEAjw_bHHBRD4qbKukMiVgU0SJADr08ZZtwPyG_NJhBS0K6fonZuw4RnOhC1n-E2p9uCidJbJxBoCJVvw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJbozZabndMCFZR7YgodwxcGuQ) In the age of social media one company's PR nightmare can be another's dream marketing opportunity, as proved by the new [Emirates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emirates-vr-experience) "Friendly Skies" ad. [United Airlines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/united-airlines-kinective-media) 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. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.5/10 - Popularity: 7% | Activity: 29% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Viral](https://www.trendhunter.com/viral) ## Key Themes ### 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. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Airline Highlight Advertisements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spirit-airlines-more-fly.md) - [Personalized In-Flight Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/united-airlines-kinective-media.md) - [Humorous Playful Airline Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seat-blocker.md) - [AI-Generated Airline Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-adventure-campaign.md) - [Traveler-Targeted QSR Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/canceled-flights.md) - [Heartwarming Holiday Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/heartwarming-holiday-initiative.md) - [Festive In-Flight Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/festive-inflight-experiences.md) - [Cheeky Sandwich Seat Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/middle-seat.md) - [Romantic Airline Spots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hallmark-x-united-airlines.md)