Last year it was the Virgin Atlantic TV advert that caused uproar, with some viewers deeming it sexist, and now it seems Air New Zealand is going for the same approach - with a marketing campaign that is already ruffling some feathers. Under the guise of a Discovery Channel-type documentary the clip portrays single, middle-aged women as ‘cougars’ who are stalking bars at night for younger men.
The move has upset women’s rights groups but it seems not everyone is upset. The campaign called for women aged 35 plus to send in their photos of a night out on the town with their “cougar mates” to be in with a chance of winning flights, tickets to a sporting event and cougar costumes to help attract the attention of young men and 60 women entered.
It’s not the first time Air New Zealand has produced a light hearted video. The ‘Bare Essentials of Safety’ video for its domestic 737 services featured crew members naked except for body paint which had been used to recreate their uniforms.
So, what do you think? Do the tongue-in-cheek campaigns make you want to fly with the airline that knows how to share a joke, or does it put you off flying Air New Zealand?
