Fly Air Weird!

Next month sees the launch of a new airline, which in today's economy is weird enough, but this one is only for animals. Pet Airways, America's first animal-only air service, will initially only fly between NY, Denver, LA, Chicago and Baltimore carrying 50 'passengers' at a time in individual pressurized cabins. Private lounges and overnight accommodation for long-haul flights will also be laid on (Dream Dogs).

Clearly this is an idea who's time has come, as Air Canada has also announced this week that it is to carry pets on its planes, as long as they board as hand-luggage. From July, passengers will be able to book the space under their seats as stowage for up to 4 pets in ‘leakproof carriers’, let’s hope no-one thinks that means Tupperware (Telegraph).

And when airlines are not treating pets as luggage, they’re usually treating their customers as cattle. Ryanair, for example, this week announced plans to have the passengers load their own luggage, saving the company an estimated 20 million euros (Belfast Telegraph).

A worse fate greeted passengers on a Thomas Cook charter plane recently when due to a mechanical failure only the front hold could be loaded with baggage, hence passengers were asked to move to the back of plane as ballast, to balance it out. After seeing people disembarking from the service’s previous flight kissing the ground and putting their hands together in prayer, 71 refused and made other travel arrangements (Daily Mail).

Finally, if you think the customers have it bad, spare a thought for the staff of British Airways, which once billed itself as "the World's favorite airline". Times are now so hard for the company it has asked its workforce if they'd mind taking a pay-cut or even working for free for a month, just to tide the company over. BA's chief executive has lead the drive, promising to lead by example and forgo one month of his £735k ($1.2m) salary (Guardian).

(Picture from The Bognor Birdman Event, a semi-serious competition to fly 100 meters from the end of a seaside pier.)

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Wed Jun 24, 2009 - Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Business, Flight, Pets

Follies of the Mad Men #69

[From The Saturday Evening Post for April 29 1950. Two scans, top and bottom.]

This campaign uses what I like to call "the artificial linkage" method. You take something natural and inevitable and try to tie your product to it. In this case, the entire grand eternal season of Spring means nothing more than digging out your paintbrush and ladders and tackling your peeling house.

You gotta love the name of the paint, though: "Barreled Sunlight."

Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 12, 2009 - Comments (0)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Nature, 1950s

Love Day

As any fan of The Simpsons knows, Springfield once celebrated a totally bogus and greed-stoked holiday known as Love Day.












Utterly oblivious to any satirical implications that make them look like idiots, the famed jeweler Cartier has decided to celebrate Love Day too. I find references to this "holiday" going back to 2007.

Here's their home page.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 10, 2009 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Holidays, Humor, Overpriced Merchandise, Cartoons

Follies of the Mad Men #68

[From Life magazine for September 10 1956. Two scans, top and bottom.]

Yes, yes, this is precisely how we are all living, here in 2009!

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 02, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Domestic, Family, Technology, 1950s, Yesterday’s Tomorrows

Follies of the Mad Men #67

[From The Saturday Evening Post magazine for November 10 1962.]

Does putting Listerine in a fancy decanter make it taste better? Isn't this like packaging Preparation-H in a golden snuff box?

Posted By: Paul - Mon May 18, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Hygiene

Weird Cars: AMC Pacer

All the stories in the news about Detroit's car companies made me think about American Motors, makers of possibly the weirdest American cars: one of which was the Pacer.



More in extended >>

Posted By: fyshstyxx - Mon May 11, 2009 - Comments (5)
Category: Business, Cars

Follies of the Mad Men #66

[From Look magazine for July 22 1958. Two scans, top and bottom.]

Sure, you've all heard of one of the most infamous Madison Avenue displays of ignorance ever, the "flesh-colored Band-aid." But how many of us have actually seen the offending ad?

Here is one instance from many in that racist campaign.

Posted By: Paul - Mon May 04, 2009 - Comments (3)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Health, Stereotypes and Cliches, Stupidity, 1950s

Meat Cards

Imagine your name lasered onto a piece of meat. Imagine always smelling like beef jerky.

Doesn't look like these are on sale yet, but as soon as they are, I'm sure their creators will make a fortune.

(Thanks to Prof. Music for the link)

Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 28, 2009 - Comments (9)
Category: Business, Food

Follies of the Mad Men #65

[From Look magazine for 3-4-58.]

Worst. Cocktail Recipe. Ever!

Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 27, 2009 - Comments (6)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Food, Inebriation and Intoxicants

Welcome to Ginsu Way!

Yes, my native state has chosen to name a public road after an infomercial.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 23, 2009 - Comments (5)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Government, Signage