Last week, I wrote a story titled, “When ‘Holiday Cheer’ On An American Flight Looks More Like Content Than Kindness” about a man who presented flight attendants with Apple AirPods Max. He’s at it again, this time with iPads on another AA flight. But he really gives himself away here…it’s quite clear (and clever) what he is doing, but hardly selfless.
The American Airlines “Gift Guy” Is Back With iPads, And His Real Game Is Pretty Clear Now
You can watch the latest video below. He boards an American Airlines flight and presents the flight attendants with a stack of iPads. They are understandably incredulous, but grateful. The pilots overhear and invite him into the cockpit. Apparently, the captain had seen his video last week and thanks him.
Later in the video, two boys come up to him (in the airport, not onboard) and say they recognize him. He asks if they follow him on Instagram and hands each one of them some AirPods Pros. He then gives himself away, inserting a product placement (for a product I won’t name) he calls the “best prediction market in the United States.” Essentially, it’s a gambling service…
And I had to laugh, because these iPads are small ball. Even as a travel blogger, I get approached by these folks all the time, wanting me to hawk their product or insert links in my stories. If you ever start seeing sports betting stories on Live And Let’s Fly, you’ll know the offer was too good to refuse…
But it all makes sense now and is frankly a genius way to raise product awareness. Heck, look at me talking about this guy twice in a week and I’m sure others will too. It’s the sort of “feel good” story but with a product placement twist that makes us all a little more jaded than before.
I’m almost puritanical when it comes to betting. It’s one thing to “bet” on a company by becoming a part-owner and buying stocks, but it’s quite another to bet on everything from sports games to political elections to who will win the Nobel Prize.
So on the one hand, I don’t fault this guy at all for doing what’s he doing because I do find to be effective marketing. On the other hand, I don’t like what he’s selling, so let’s see if I can further stories that are certain to pop up as we march toward Christmas and New Year’s…
What do you think about this guy?
Quelle surprise! Using the mask of generosity to get attention. We are all shocked!
So that guy gets paid lets say $10k by Kalshi (or whatever product/services he will advertise) then he spends $2k in iPads so he gets million of views, people “love” him for doing a good deed, more followers, pockets the $8k. Rinse and repeat for next brand.
He didnt do it out of pure heart.
No Mr. Beast chocolate bars in your stockings for Christmas then…
I’ll assume you meant inserting product placement – “insering a product lacmnet”
Ouch. At least I don’t use AI! 😉
Maybe we should live and let DIE.
There are really only two things that America does better than the rest of the world. Marketing and selling.
Outside of those two things, we’ve got serious competition.
How about the best universities in the world? How many science Nobel prizes go to those who work was conducted in the US? Drug research and development? I’ll stop now.
Stop giving these assholes what they want: attention.
Last time, but I wanted to make clear what is driving this guy.
Yeah, Matt, it’s all a grift these days… unfortunately, it seems that we’re on the *bad* timeline these days. Many of us were hoping for a quick course-correction, but it’s looking like the long slog, instead.
As Tolkien wrote: “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Obnoxious self promoting is obnoxious. Doing it under the guise of altruism is revolting. One day, maybe we can reclaim humanity from the grips of advertising and marketing psychopaths.