April Fools’ Day is always a potpourri of funny, not-so-funny, and downright weird jokes — a concoction of marketing campaigns from companies striving to “get” its customers. This year, there were actually some gems that immediately caught my marketing eye.
Here were my top three favorite April Fools’ campaigns related to the airline world.
WestJet’s Inflight “Flyre Festival”
Canadian airline WestJet took top billing this year with its own version of the infamous Fyre Festival, the greatest party that never happened. WestJet promised the world’s first premium in-flight music festival with influencers, models, and a DJ pumping EDM beats. Introducing Flyre Festival. Would could possibly go wrong?
Like all great stories, this one begins with a flight. Welcome to #FlyreFestival – an immersive music festival at 35,000 feet on our 787 Dreamliner. Will you join us? https://t.co/xcKGfEgjCL pic.twitter.com/Zv4oapXRij
— WestJet (@WestJet) April 1, 2019
Even WestJet’s Instagram account mimicked Fyre’s genius blank canvas-style post.
Swoop’s Pay-As-You-Go “Recline For A Dime”
WestJet’s marketing team is on fyre this year (sorry, couldn’t help it). Swoop is the name of WestJet’s recently launched ultra low cost airline based out of Calgary.
Swoop doesn’t take itself too seriously with its campaign. They know the reputation that low cost airlines have — they nickel and dime you for everything. In this case, literally a dime — to recline. And yes, that seat reclines all the way to a flat 180 degrees. “An innovation that truly has your back.”
Law Prohibiting Bare Feet On Commercial Flights
An Instagram account called Passenger Shaming (it’s an account that posts shameful deeds of your fellow flyers) posted an April Fools’ joke that we can all get behind. The U.S. airlines apparently have teamed together to ban bare feet inflight. In fact, it will become U.S. law and if you break it, the fine is $150.
See Also: Survey Reveals The Most Annoying Things About Flying
The Upshot
Creativity? Check. Absurd? Check. Believable? Definitely not.
But would I take part in an inflight music festival, pay 90 cents to recline my economy seat to lie-flat, and get behind a law banning bare feet onboard? Why, yes, yes, and yes.
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