Same same, but different? Singapore Airlines ad gets Cathay Pacific executive all hot and bothered over similarities
- SIA video viewed 19 million times over a few days resembles 2015 Cathay ad, says exec in personal post
- Both ads celebrate the romance of travel, with one featuring a passenger, the other a flight attendant
In a personal post over the LinkedIn social media platform on Wednesday, Edward Bell wrote: “Congratulations Singapore Airlines on your latest brand campaign. But I can’t help notice that it strongly resembles what we did several years ago?”
Bell, who is responsible for the Cathay group’s global marketing communications, was struck by similarities to his airline’s 2015 ad in its “Life Well Travelled” series and included a link to it.
Both ads feature attractive long-haired women mingling with locals in a variety of colourful destinations, soaking up fun experiences and reflecting on the wonders of world travel.
While Cathay featured a passenger as its lead character, SIA showcased a “Singapore Girl”, one of its flight attendants, talking up its “World Class Experience”.
Did SIA copy Cathay? Or in the world of airlines selling the romance of travel, were the two ads “same same but different”?