Delta--From High Energy to Tranquility

Advertiser: Delta Air Lines

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, New York

Challenge: Establish a global identity for Delta as the airline that cares about its passengers as individuals.

The Ad: Airline ads tend to show planes and clouds. Delta sought something different for this commercial, which it plans to use worldwide. People release balloons with one-word notes attached that capture their reasons for flying: home, success, wedding, thrill, fun. The balloons soar upward and are caught by a flight attendant, who, in serene slow-motion, removes the notes and places them on seats inside the cabin. Actress Christine Lahti recites the soothing voice-over: “There are millions of reasons to fly today; only one that matters to you.”

Comment: This ad is a long way from the energetic “Delta is ready when you are.” It is tranquil, even spiritual, thanks to the use of the musical composition “Adiemus.” Its utter calm is entirely at odds with much of the reality of air travel--check-in lines, flight delays, uncomfortable seats and other annoyances. If flying Delta is this peaceful, no one will want to get off its planes. $$$

Not Quite a Touchdown for Ericsson

Advertiser: Ericsson Inc.

Agency: Creswell Munsell Fultz & Zirbel, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Challenge: Leverage sponsorship of Ericsson Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers professional football team.

The Ad: An electrical failure plunges the stadium into darkness during a San Francisco 49ers-Carolina Panthers game. As the football players (actually actors) mill about the field, spectators begin to turn on the lighted displays of their cellular phones. Enough light is projected from tens of thousands of cellular phones for the teams to continue the game--and to allow viewers to see Ericcson stadium signage. The commercial first aired this week during Monday night’s game between the two teams.

Comment: It is obvious from this commercial that the relationship between professional football and cellular phones is a real stretch. When was the last time you used a cell phone as a flashlight? But the spot does create a sense that cellular phones are becoming ubiquitous, another goal of Ericsson, which has a commanding 56% of the emerging market for digital cell phones. Its share of the entire cell phone market, which includes analog phones, is 14%, putting it behind leaders Motorola and Nokia. $$

Maybe Apple Should Take Its Own Advice

Advertiser: Apple Computer Inc.

Agency: TBWA Chiat/Day, Venice

Challenge: Establish Apple as a tool for creative people who are making a difference.

The Ad: Black-and-white film clips of peacemakers, inventors, artists and business moguls are spliced together in this spot. The voice-over offers tribute to “the crazy ones” who made a difference. “While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius,” it says. “People crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who usually do.” The ad ends with the Apple icon and its new slogan, “Think different.”

Comment: In trotting out such figures as Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Albert Einstein, Apple is offering consumers membership in an ultra-exclusive club of creative geniuses. The price of membership, it turns out, is the cost of an Apple computer. By including such moguls as Richard Branson and Ted Turner in its lineup, Apple is saying it’s OK to harness creative energies to get rich. The spot harks back to the famous “1984” Super Bowl ad in which a woman threw a sledgehammer at an image of Big Brother. That ad implied Apple was the computer for true individuals--IBM PCs and clones were for everyone else. Unlike the “1984” ad, the new spot relies entirely on borrowed interest. Apple derives its glow from the accomplishments of people who, for the most part, never used a computer, let alone an Apple. Apple’s ad agency said it received permission to use the images from the people themselves or from their estates. Nonetheless, it is jarring to see epic figures such as Gandhi reduced to pitchmen for Apple computers. $$

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Ads are rated from $ to $$$$, based on tastefulness and probable effectiveness, with $$$$ being best.