Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is objecting to advertisements from Spirit Airlines, objecting particularly to phrases seen as double-entendres, and to being turned into “walking billboards” by being forced to wear uniform aprons featuring an ad for Bud Light.
The offending creative involves use of DD for “Deep discounts” (but hinting at breast size) and MILF for “many islands, low fares” but more commonly associated with a well-known crudity (which will not be explained by us here).
"For Spirit flight attendants, the sexist and shameful advertising that management continues to associate our carrier with is embarrassing and diminishes our role as safety professionals," said the union’s Deborah Crowley. "As the face of the airline to many passengers, it is embarrassing for Spirit flight attendants to work for a management team with such little regard for so many outstanding employees."
The low cost, no-frills airline has been looking to maximize income by putting advertising just about anywhere in the plane where it is feasible, including on trays, napkins, cups and wherever else they can find a surface – which now includes crew-member uniforms.
The airline claims that its efforts to maximize cash flow actually help the complaining staffers keep their jobs.
RBR/TVBR observation: It’s one thing for watchdogs to rise up in arms over commercial creative. But you rarely hear about a company’s own employees rising up. While we do not care to take sides in this matter – cash flow is, after all, cash flow, and airline crews are surely aware that they need some of it to flow into their own bank accounts – it also is surely possible to come up with an effective marketing message that does not offend your own workers.
