I’m a Little Offended by FlexPerk’s New Ad

a close-up of a credit cardI had just pulled out of the rental car area of Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport when I saw a giant sign that read:

Still Collecting Airline Miles?  Still Using a Pager?

It was an ad for FlexPerks and apologies for the lack of a picture of the ad.  I don’t think driving in a new city plus whipping out a camera would be the best combination ever!

But back to the ad–the ad suggested that collecting airline miles was as old-fogey as using a pager.

Let’s compare the two.  I can use a pager as a paper weight.  I can break a window with a pager if I am stuck in a car that drove into a lake (while trying to get a picture of a credit card ad).  I can create a Halloween costume of a 90s business man with a pager.

What fun things can I do with miles?  I can upgrade a cheap Hawaii flight to first-class (as I just did last week).  I can fly to Mendoza for wine tasting.  I can fly to so many Asian destinations that I would be able to compare the different champagne offerings.  But no, I cannot use miles to escape from a lake-bound car.

What bothers me so much about this ad is, I feel like I am its target audience–yet, it is mocking me.  FlexPerks is a credit card that claims to earn miles faster than traditional methods.

FlexPerks got in trouble in 2009 for a misleading ad campaign, comparing itself to Delta.  So, I noted how careful they were not to incriminate any particular airline.  But suggesting airline miles are useless and outdated?  Tell that to me while I’m sipping a cocktail on my way to Kauai.

 

About Jeanne Marie Hoffman

Former bartender, still a geek. One equal part each cookies, liberty, football, music, travel, libations. Stir vigorously. +Jeanne Marie Hoffman Jeanne on Twitter

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