Spotify Stay Grounded Ads

I am on the same page with vanbed. Also, a lot of airlines these days are trying to differentiate themselves through excellent service, so honestly hitting on that point is a bit off key in my opinion. I think focusing on the hassle for the flyer, the waste of resources (list some terrible stats?) and more stress on personal productivity vs someone who flies for meetings and how much they end up getting paid for the total time they put in...ROI let's say; might be a better bang for your time.

oh for god's sake, get over yourselves. just thank your lucky stars you're not estate agents and have to put up with 'offensive' remarks every day!

I was offended by this ad, calling people "substandard" by how people make a living is totally unacceptable. I've contacted the ASA.

Hi Iceblink - well we certainly didn't intend to offend but a few people do seem to agree with you. Personally, if I heard something that was obviously a sketch/humour (at least intended that way ;-) about a job I did (whether plumber, traffic warden, policeman, journalist, politician, advertising exec, whatever) I honestly don't think I'd take it like a serious criticism of my profession or indeed a personal attack on my social worth. In that sense I guess we don't think it's any more insulting/condescending than any sketch which plays lightheartedly on stereotypes - of which there are many, in TV shows, ads, films, etc. Agreed we don't want bad taste or even downright dangerously offensive ones (for instance anything that discriminates on the basis of race, disability, whatever), but I'm not sure I'd see in-flight magazine journalists as needing any special protection. Can they not take a joke? Obviously everyone's entitled to their own take on things and sorry this upset you. All we're trying to do is send up the overall stereotype of flying as a glamorous way to get around when in reality it's a bunch of pretty sub-standard things (food, seats, tvs, radio, magazines, etc) which you wouldn't give the time of day to on the ground, but because they're served up as something special 30,000 ft up in the sky we're supposed to pretend it's a top quality experience ;-) That's all really.

I work for a publishing company who produce many magazines, including one for a travel company, and listen to Spotify whilst I work. I am infuriated by this advert and its reference to 'substandard journalists not good enough to write for a proper publication'. It is not fair to belittle anyone's work, whatever it may be. These industries are important, generate thousands of jobs filled by people who work hard. Your adverts should show the good you are doing, not promote your business by discrediting competitive industries. I understand what you are trying to do but I feel that the tone of the adverts are insulting and extremely condescending.

Lighten up everyone. These are hilarious. As advertisers know all too well, we don't have to like things to use them and be changed by them (Nescafe?). Short blog posting at http://patrickdunn.squarespace.com/occasional-rants/2010/3/22/stay-groundedand-learn.html.

I agree that they were a bad move - all you do is put off anyone who's an air hostess, is married to one, has a relative who has that job or who has a friend or an acquaintance... etc. Given that one of the biggest problems the Green cause has is the appearance of elitism (think how the Republicans in the US painted Al Gore et al.) these adverts just help to perpetuate the negative stereotype. I really support your cause very strongly, but I think these adverts are the step in the wrong direction - they make your campaign look extremely out of touch.

Well, sorry you folks felt offended - we certainly didn't mean for these ads to be insulting, just funny. We're poking fun at airline conventions and making observations about the fact that while flying is made to seem glamorous, often it's not that much fun (so why not video conference if that does the job). There are many ads or sitcoms/films etc which take the mickey out of everything from traffic wardens and builders to cabbies and IT support staff... I don't think they, like us, mean any harm by it. Sorry you didn't like the spots though, again no offense meant really.

I have to agree, I am totally and completely behind what you're advertising and what you're doing is really great. I just think that tone is slightly off on the ad about, the hostess not understanding the word contradiction. Just would hate to see it effect the campaign. Tongue and cheek is a difficult one to pull off, and I think the repetitive play is probably making the situation worse.

Your adverts are offensive rubbish which only make YOU look like the idiots. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

After having listened to these adverts on Spotify I felt that I had to say something. I don’t normally go out of my way to complain, but I really do feel that these adverts portraying cabin staff as mentally subnormal airheads quite offensive and insulting. And no, I don't work in the industry.