Emirates paid Jennifer Aniston $5mn for its latest ad campaign, including this new 60-second commercial:
And for more tender eyes, the non-alcoholic version:
Personally, I found the similarly-themed Etihad ad starring Nicole Kidman more professional though I had to laugh at the FAs mocking Aniston for asking where the onboard shower and bar were.
I think “show don’t tell” is the most effective tool in all forms of storytelling and actually showing the Emirates First Class Suite (more than Aniston waking up in it from her nightmare of flying an American carrier) and the onboard shower would have helped more people actually understand what Aniston was talking about.
Mention the onboard shower and bar to many people — even frequent flyers — and they have absolutely no idea what you are talking about: they cannot even picture it. As this ad does nicely with the onboard bar, visuals help people to understand what they are missing out on.
And perhaps that is the bottom line of this video and the reason why it is actually very effective: if you’ve flown, say American Airlines first class as well as Emirates first class, there is absolutely no similarity between the two – Emirates is in a totally different league with an onboard and ground offering that simply makes many of its competitors look like they are offering nothing in comparison.
I’ve flown Emirates First Class twice and can certainly relate to the closing line, in which Aniston begs the bar attendant to make the flight an hour longer. That was my wish on both Emirates flights, even the 16hr journey from LA to Dubai, and that is the magic of Emirates: more than a means of transport from Point A to Point B, Emirates First Class offers something to be anticipated and something that is truly cutting edge.
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