Forgive me for being a contrarian, but I’d like to diverge from the point of view my colleague Eddy Evans shared in his recent posting about the whole matter of Air New Zealand’s gay-themed “Pink Flight” from San Francisco to Sydney.
At the risk of sounding like a big queen (I am actually quite astoundingly butch, see photo), the flight’s live performances, on-board music, contests and screenings of classic gay-themed films, followed by a period of scheduled “beauty sleep” (of which I am in much need, see photo) sound like wonderful fun to me. “Air New Zealand takes pride in our gay-friendliness and sense of fun,” the company’s press release screams, “so this Pink Flight will be a blast for everyone involved!” Gay-friendly and fun. What’s wrong with that?
Eddy wrote: “I’m sure [the flight] will appeal to a specific minority within the gay population who conform to these stereotypes and will enjoy this type of experience.” I say: When did we gay people lose our sense of humor? Do we really need to “conform” to a stereotype to appreciate lively gay-themed entertainment en route to a gay and lesbian mardi gras celebration? I remember the days when the gay community was on the forefront of trend-setting, when we reveled in the freedom of expressing ourselves as we wished, and the flamboyant did not scare us away.
The airline’s promotion is certainly campy, but is it “cringeworthy?” I say no. My concern is that when we, as a community, cringe at the thought of an airline’s "Get-Onboard-Girlfriend" pre-party, soon we’ll be cringing at similarly cavalier-themed parties at gay bars in our own neighborhoods.
Our community is extremely diverse, and that’s a good thing. That diversity is something that we as communicators should recognize and incorporate into our campaign planning and outreach. Gays and lesbians aren’t a one-size-fits-all niche target market.
Capitalizing on the campy aspect of our heritage was not a misstep, in my view, but a shrewd marketing move, considering the airline’s goal of filling a limited number of seats for a specialty flight, thereby targeting a very specific part of our niche market. Of course, from a bigger-picture communications POV, should the airline – or any other business – wish to build a meaningful and broad base of LGBT customers, it must remember, to Eddy’s point, that we as a community are not the same and our diversity must be respected – and reflected – in the manner, tone and tactics through which a company speaks to us.
Could the airline, in this instance, have done a better job getting its message out? Absolutely, as my colleague Steve Kauffman explains in his recent posting. But in the end, Air New Zealand knows that gays just wanna have fun, and bless their hearts for it.
SUBSCRIBE