After United Airlines Faced Jeering Audiences, Polaris Business Class Ad is Pulled at Tribeca Film Festival
Yet again, a costly ad campaign is backfiring. Every time the Tribeca Film Festival (April 19-30) ran the sleek promo spot for United Airlines’ super-posh Polaris International business class (see below), New York audiences erupted in jeering laughter.
Clearly, United still has PR repair work to do, following the viral video of a man being pulled bleeding off a plane after refusing to give up his reserved seat.
So Tribeca and the airline agreed to pull the ad after three days of laughter before public screenings. By Saturday, it was gone. The festival preferred to keep audience focus on the filmmakers, according to one source.
“United is a valued partner of the Tribeca Film Festival and we’re grateful for their continued support of our filmmakers and the arts,” the festival stated. United, a long-time partner of the festival, flies filmmakers into New York, hosts private hospitality screenings and carries a dedicated Tribeca Shorts channel.
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