Our Top Vintage Airline Celebrity Ads
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Celebrity endorsements have been a popular marketing tactic since the days of radio. When well-known faces and voices align themselves with a product or services, fans often follow. Here are a few vintage celebrity airline endorsements that we’re fans of:
Terri, Editor
They may not be celebrities, but the personal touch of these American Airlines ads really speaks to me.
Al, Publisher
I am an absolute sucker for airline commercials from the 80s. Catchy taglines, sweeping anthems and always on-the-go business travelers in professional attire. This might be one of the best ones, and the narration by Gene Hackman definitely puts it in the celebrity category.
Katie, Copy Editor
Well, I have to say I was pretty surprised to see Charles Darwin posthumously repping for British Overseas Airways Corporation, but my pick has to be Jarmila Novotna, “glorious star” of the Metropolitan Opera, for Air France circa 1951. But my love for this ad is less for the endorsement and more for the gems in the copy like: “Friendly English words have a pert French accent,” and “the very moment you enter your Constellation.” What does that even mean?
Jessica, Community Manager
These two should have been the original “Odd Couple.” There are so many reasons to love this ad, namely the look on Liston’s face as Warhol chats away about the artistic validity of his work. Liston’s expression perfectly captures that time you sat patiently and listened to your chatty neighbor on a long-haul flight, when really all you wanted to do was binge-watch three to ten episodes of a critically acclaimed drama and take a nap.
BONUS: We couldn’t resist sharing these recent celebrity endorsements too!
Al, Publisher
I thought this ad where the guy thinks he’s Kevin Costner was very clever.
Terri, Editor
Because Robert Redford could draw a bowtie on a popsicle stick and call it an action figure, and I’d still pay for it.
Read Jenn Wint’s take on “Famous Flyers,” on page 44 of the August Marketing Issue.