Flying unrefined

Situated carefully at eye level, the close-up of the young woman's prominent, curvaceous bottom is the focal point. Cut just below the knee, the skirt of her blue uniform floats out flirtily behind her. Pulling an overnight suitcase on wheels, she walks through the airport on pointy high heels. It's not just talk: this flight attendant really gets around.

At least that's what a recent full-page ad from Porter Airlines, run in the Globe & Mail, is designed to suggest. The oversized headline just to the left of the flight attendant's shapely rear end: "With more flights than ever, Porter really gets around."

And then the supporting copy: "It's not just talk. Porter is increasing its Montreal service up to 18x daily and its Ottawa service up to 14x daily."

Hooters once ran an airline. This is the kind of innuendo we would expect from them — and for them, it would be right on Brand. But this is Porter, ladies and gentlemen. Flying refined is their positioning statement. Their sparkling new turboprops, luxurious Toronto lounge, complimentary in-flight food and drink, and impeccable, retro-attired staff have resurrected a golden age of air travel to the profound delight of everyone who's flown them, Instinct included.

This ad is an affront to a meticulously cultivated Brand. How was it allowed to happen?

What does the Brand Coach coach?

A Brand is what people think of you™. And if a Brand's messaging is inconsistent, people won't know what to think. Which is why all organizations need to define and lock down the elements of their Brand in an unchangeable Brand Foundation:

Core Purpose — why we exist
Vision — where we're going, and how we'll know we're there
Mission — what we do every day to get there
Position — how we are different
Positioning Statement — how we say we are different
Values — what we believe in; our principles
Character — our voice; how we act

Porter would do well to revisit the last two elements, values and character, and ask: is this ad us?

Click here to see the ad: