This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Somewhere in Scandinavia, a marketing intern is getting a raise.
A mere four days after Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, budget carrier Norwegian Airlines launched an ad campaign that uses Pitt's newly-single status to hawk the airline's flights to Los Angeles. The basic gist is that prospective flight purchasers should hurry to L.A. while Brad is single. Norwegian's fares for their one-way overseas flights are irrefutably excellent (a mere £169, or $220, for the 11-hour sojourn from London to La La Land), but it seems price point alone wasn't enough to maximize sales.
The new campaign features a number of full-page ads that first appeared in newspaper on Friday and have since run in the U.K., Spain and Norway, according to the New York Daily News. Some simply state "Brad is single," along with the flight info, whereas others get a little more creative and mimic a personal ad.
😂😂 #winning #brilliant #advertising Norwegian air ad pic.twitter.com/gy6e3o2g4W
— Eve D'Souza (@evedsouza) September 23, 2016
As with any out there advertising campaign, there has, of course, been backlash. According to the Daily News, some have complained about the use of Pitt to market flights in light of those abuse rumors, and others have called the ads insensitive to the stars in question.
“This ad came out before those reports and rumors," Norwegian Airlines spokesman Anders Lindstrom told the Daily News. “We’re fully aware of negative comments, but most people think it’s fun and tongue-in-cheek.”
Another Norwegian spokesperson told The Telegraph that they were pleased that "the vast majority of feedback has been positive and people have read the advert with the humour it was intended.”
Ernest Hemingway once said that if two people love each other, there can be no happy end. He clearly didn't consider the possibilities of the post-breakup viral marketing campaign.
(Courtesy of Norwegian Airlines)
