FOX NEWS.com
"Emirates is unapologetic about a controversial ad featuring a 'snooty' Jennifer Aniston as it continues to woo upscale business travelers in the U.S.
They issued the following statement:
"We couldn't think of anyone better suited for the role than Jennifer Aniston...Her professionalism and comedic timing talent shone on the set and we are very pleased with the outcome."
The ad shows Aniston, who is asleep on board the carrier's luxurious aircraft. Her dream quickly turns into a nightmare when she can't find the aircraft showers, decent snacks and the stand-up bar, and finds herself being mocked by the flight crew for her over-the-top requests. "This isn't an Emirates plane," a flight attendant for the unidentified domestic carrier responds. Jennifer wakes up to find the very amenities she was asking for in her dream on the Emirates A380 flight she's on. After the Dubai-based carrier posted the spot on YouTube last week, many criticized it for being quote, 'elitist' and called it the 'snobbiest ad EVER' for using Aniston to depict a service only a few can afford. But Emirates says that, "We have received an overwhelmingly positive response from the commercial and plan to come out with a new spot for the global campaign."
Boutros Boutros, Emirates SVP of Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brad told FoxNews.com via e-mail:
"In a departure from the usual airline industry ads, we chose to take a humorous approach to showcase the amazing product we offer on board," his statement continues adding, "We couldn't think of anyone BETTER suited for the role than Jennifer Aniston...Her professionalism and comedic talent shone on the set and we are VERY pleased with the outcome."
Boutros spoke on behalf of himself adding, "I'm NOT worried about the ad sparking controversy because passengers choose the airlines on which they fly. In comparison to the U.S. carriers, such as American Airlines, United Continental, and Delta Air Lines, I believe that Emirates provides a strong value proposition for American consumers with our award-wining on board services, as well as our convenient flights to destinations that are NOT served or served 'poorly' by the (U.S.) Legacy Carriers."
Aniston herself has not commented publicly on the controversy surrounding her new commercial, for which she nabbed a reported $5 million. FOXNews.com reached out to several representatives for the actress and are awaiting a comment. The 60-second clip has been viewed over a total of 3.8 million times since its October 5, 2015 debut online. It's received a 'thumbs down' rating for over a third of its votes and commenters have been quick to point out various problems with the commercial.
One YouTuber post reads:
"This ad disgusts me. How elitist can you be? You're basically saying if you can't afford to fly first class on Emirates, that your flying experience is a nightmare."
Others across social media have been quick to point out the exorbitant cost of a luxurious Emirates cabin - a round trip, First Class ticket from New York's John F. Kennedy to Dubai starts around $25,000. Aniston's ad also tweaks U.S. airlines at a time when they've been confronting Gulf carriers over charges of unfair competition. Delta, American and other U.S. carriers accuse Middle Eastern state airlines, including Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, of receiving more than $42 billion in subsides since 2004, which they say, "Violates terms of the Open Skies Agreement" and ultimately, "Makes it MORE difficult for U.S. carriers to compete."
Airlines for America, the country's largest trade association that represents many major domestic carriers, would not comment directly on the new commercial but instead emphasized that:
"Fly in the U.S. today has NEVER been more affordable, with airfares down 3% domestically over the last year."
Spokeswoman Melanie Hinton said, "American commercial carriers are making a MAJOR investment in upgrades. U.S airlines are reinvesting on average $1.4 billion/month into the passengers experience offering plug-ins, Wi-Fi services and inflight entertainment on aircrafts, adding bigger, newer planes to their fleets as well as quality culinary dishes often created by local chefs," said Hinton. But in-flight showers still may be a LONG way off."
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