Make Marketing History

The views of a marketing deviant.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Fly Singapore Airlines Why?


I've never flown Singapore Airlines but their TV spot this weekend completely amazed me. I know they and their Australian tour partners wanted the viewer to fly with them but their voiceover justifications were as follows.

They use new planes - cue picture of plane but no technical specifications.

They offer "thousands of entertainment options" - but give no details.

They provide "great service and comfort" - again no evidence.

USP stands for unique selling proposition. If you're buying expensive advertising, I think it helps if you've got something unique to say.


Addendum: If anybody can find the ad online, I'd love to have the link because I failed in my search and it would help people judge.

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The aircraft was the Airbus A380 and viewers would have been intrigued at least, by the double-decker.

Thousands of entertainment options with a shot of the largest Economy Class personal television in the sky would have been self explantory.

Great comfort was manifested in the product visuals of the Singapore Airlines Suites, New Business Class and New Economy Class.

Finally, Great services was personified by the smile and service of the Singapore Girl (the stewardess), differentiating the airline from others.

2:21 PM, March 03, 2008  
Blogger john dodds said...

Excellent defence anonymous and just what I wanted to hear. But my point is that it all went by in a blur and all I took away was bland statements.

Service and comfort should be a given on any airline (and yes I know I'm reaching wishfully there) but is a smiling stewardess really going to make me think that? Remember my earlier post on the forced smiles in Japanese retail?

My point is why not focus on each claim separately and back it up? Make it uniquely applicable to and identifiable with Singapore Airlines. True differentiation lies in the detail and until the claims are specifically proven rather than just asserted and hinted at, they could apply to any airline.

2:42 PM, March 03, 2008  
Blogger john dodds said...

P.S. I've only ever heard good things about Singapore Airlines so it's not as if there isn't a good story to tell.

2:54 PM, March 03, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

double decker planes have been around since the 747, thinking that would really intrigue people is like saying a new ring pull would totally change peoples view on coca cola.

sia are fucking great and its tragic an airline built on great advertising has now reduced itself to the sort of bland shit that every other bastard is churning out. at least the flying experience is better better than the ads but the singapore girl used to be better than just a cute chick offering customers tea and toast in their seat.

my name is andy boucher and i work at cynic who work with virgin atlantic and the only reason im anon is because i havent got a fucking blog or gmail account.

3:04 PM, March 03, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I could perhaps agree with you Mr. Dodds regarding that one does take statements away from the advert.

However, I think the creative was constricted by the fact that it was a joint advertisement between Tourism Australia and Singapore Airlines.

I am going to guess that the people who made the advert would hope that one puts together the... statements and the visuals to conjur up at least some image in the mind that relates to better-than-average comfort, service and newness.

A 60-second advert would have been nice.

3:50 PM, March 03, 2008  
Blogger john dodds said...

In times of partial attention, I'm not sure anyone can rely on the viewer doing that much of the "work" for them.

4:13 PM, March 03, 2008  
Blogger Robert said...

60 Second TVC? For SIA?

Unless it's an ad that was designed to make people fall asleep to demonstrate their great business class seats, I don't think anyone would actually and sit through that - and this is a bloke who flies with them nearly 200 times a year!

And Andy - I am proud of you. Was it Mary or Stevie who brought you here?

4:18 PM, March 03, 2008  
Blogger Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob) said...

Well done Andy.
Did you also get that email about the new 'ad spot' ring pull design?

1:58 AM, March 04, 2008  

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