The airline industry has undergone several upheavals and gut-punches in the past two decades.
There was the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, the Air Traffic Controllers' strike of 1981, and the tragic events of September 11, 2001, to name just a few. But once upon a time airlines competed for customers not by price, but by services offered.
Of course, throughout the 1970s, airlines earned the bulk of their revenue from business travelers (who were overwhelmingly male at that time), rather than families.
Which probably explains airline why TV commercials of that era portrayed air travel as something of a Bunny Club in the sky."
Southern Airways: First Class Toga Parties
For those who wondered what debauchery went on beyond that First Class curtain, Southern Airways laid the truth bare. Toga-clad stewardesses (they wouldn't become "flight attendants" for another decade or so) peeled grapes and served champagne and cracked crab for that select group.
National Airlines: Fly Maggie
National Airlines raised the hackles of feminist organizations with their "Fly Me" campaign. Both TV and print ads featured fetching flight attendants inviting potential passengers to "fly them." Exhibit A: Maggie and her two 747s. You don't have to be Sigmund Freud to figure that one out.
Braniff International: The Strip Tease
It's bad enough that Braniff International made their flight attendants change their outfits three times during a routine flight, but did they really need to promote that "feature" as some sort of in-flight striptease?
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Please follow Advertising on Twitter and Facebook.