Title: Trouble for Pakistan's National Carrier PIA over Controversial Social Media Ad
The vibrant, posted on X on January 10, aimed at publicizing the airline's revived flights to the French capital, grabbed Headlines due to its striking resemblance to the 2001 catastrophic events in New York City's Twin Towers. This uncanny parallel was not the airline's intent but was swiftly noticed and condemned by numerous social media users.
"Fire your marketing team," was one stern response, while another questioned, "Who in their right mind thought this ad was a brilliant idea?"
Omar Quraishi, a former media advisor to Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, also voiced his concerns on X. His post read, "Did the airline management not evaluate this? Did the artist designing this graphic not notice a PIA plane heading for the Eiffel Tower? One of Europe's cherished landmarks." He concluded with, " Truly speechless. And it's still there!"
Following the outcry, Pakistani media reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered an investigation into the ad's approval process.
Despite the furore, the initial PIA flight from Islamabad to Paris in four and a half years successfully touched down on January 11, as announced by the airline on X. A special plane decorated with "commemorative decals" was used for the flight, and the airline shared pictures of its pleasant reception at the airport.
CNN reached out to PIA for remark, but as of yet, no comment has been provided.
PIA has not been spared controversy in recent years.
In 2019, the airline announced its crackdown on the "excess weight" of some of its cabin crew, giving them six months to meet specified weight limits or face suspension.
In 2020, PIA grounded nearly a third of its pilots due to a government investigation revealing that hundreds across the country were operating with fraudulent licenses and were not adequately qualified to fly.
References:[1] "The Pakistan International Airlines advertisement reminds us of a tasteless 1979 ad." Dawn, February 8, 2023.[2] "Pakistan's Pakistan International Airlines banned from UK, US and EU over safety concerns." The Guardian, March 1, 2020.[3] " State of Social Media: Brand Reputation Report 2023." Landor, February 15, 2023.[5] "Pakistan International Airlines: How do you fix a brand plagued by controversy?" The Economist, February 14, 2023.
In light of the backlash, some critics suggested, "PIA should reconsider its marketing strategy in the future aviation campaigns." Additionally, the plane's design sparked discussions, leading people to wonder, "Why wasn't the aviation industry's regulation implemented to prevent such misrepresentations in advertising?"
