Monday 9 February 2009

Rarer Than Giant Pandas…

Virgin Atlantic's high-profile 25th anniversary retro TV ad campaign, featuring crowds ogling its glitzy female cabin crew, has prompted complaints to the advertising watchdog that it is sexist and insulting to women.
Eh….? The most stunning recent advert on tv, utilising the nostalgia factor beautifully (even if you hated the 80s while you were in them), and bringing a smile to peoples' lips in times of recession?

How many people humourless feminist nutcases could possibly complain about it?
The Advertising Standards Authority has received 29 complaints that the £6m ad campaign, which also includes press advertising, is sexist.

The complainants argue that the all-female crew members are being promoted as the main reason for choosing the airline, and that this is insulting to all women, especially those working in the aviation industry.
There’s only 29 of them left?

I’d suggest a captive breeding programme, but, well, you can see the hurdles you’d have to overcome….

10 comments:

Old BE said...

The advert is brilliant. I am too young to remember 1984 but it *seems* authentic and it is certainly very funny. Almost makes me want to fly Virgin...

Oldrightie said...

I remember these moments when I was working. Believe many of the girls were as lovely as people as they were to work with. Deserve to be ogled. Why should ugly people be?

Longrider said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Longrider said...

I am too young to remember 1984 but it *seems* authentic...

I am. It isn't. it is amusing, though.

Sue said...

The sexy pilot caught my eye. As far as adverts go, I don't see anything wrong. The women weren't naked or demeaned. They all looked smart and gorgeous to me but then I'm not a lesbian feminist. I suspect some of the complaints come from gentlemen of a certain religion who like their women to resemble a mobile tent.

Who takes any notice of 29 people? They should have a minimum figure that when reached, they actually start to take the complaint seriously. Like 10,000!

Anonymous said...

The pedant in me couldn't help but note one solecism in the ad- one of the gawping guys is braying down a mobile phone. The first mobile telephony provider to get going in the UK (Vodafone) only set up shop in 1985.
Other than that it's doubly entertaining- it brings a smile to my face, and has hard faced feministas choking on their organic nut cutlets.

Anonymous said...

Angry lesbian feminists. Why can't we just put them all in a reserve with a bunch of cock-shaped vegetables so they can denounce these oppressive patriarchal food items until their hearts pack in? That way, they get to indulge in their autistic weirdness and we - the public - don't have to put up with their cretinism. Everyone's a winner.

The advert is great. I remember 1984 well. I was 6 and I spent most of it sat cross-legged on the floor playing with my Transformers going 'pew-pew-pew' and 'reeeaaaaargh da-da-da-da-da!'

JuliaM said...

"The sexy pilot caught my eye."

Mine too. I noticed he was a rather mature gentleman. I guess toyboys weren't in fashion back in the 80s.. ;)

"They should have a minimum figure that when reached, they actually start to take the complaint seriously. Like 10,000!"

Seconded!

"...doubly entertaining- it brings a smile to my face, and has hard faced feministas choking on their organic nut cutlets.."

Heh! More please, Virgin.

"The advert is great. I remember 1984 well. I was 6..."

I can't think that far back, but I think I might have been in 6th form...

Anonymous said...

""The sexy pilot caught my eye."

Mine too. I noticed he was a rather mature gentleman. I guess toyboys weren't in fashion back in the 80s.. ;)"


Right that does it, I'm writing to the ASA to complain "that the all-male pilots are being promoted as the main reason for choosing the airline, and that this is insulting to all men, especially those working in the aviation industry."

Simon Fawthrop said...

Having flown Virgin a few times I couldn't have argued if the complaints had been about abuse of artistic licence.