Bits: Heathrow Christmas ad, 50% off Virgin East Coast, 5000 Miles & More miles with Budget

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• Cassandra says:

  22 Nov22 November 05:31

  Wow, so literal!
  The bear family represents all of us, with memories and feelings and nostalgia.
  #2. The song isn’t actually sad at all, it carries the feeling of nostalgia, the past, the present, the good and less good, but family, closeness, sharing, being together. And most especially, memories. I would say the song is hokey instead of sad, tinted with triste, melancholie, but more in the French usage. The whole thing has a collage quality (not entirely successful) as time passes and the Everyman bear sees the stages of life around him. Airports are very good for that coming and going, time passing, theme. And it is an anniversary/Christmas advertisement. Seventy years! (Another reason for using bears; they don’t grow old!)
  #3. There is another taxi behind the one they missed. Mama Bear shrugs her shoulders…because she is older and wiser; oh well, another one (of whatever) will come along.
  I can’t believe I am parsing a sentimental Christmas advertisement. Too many years of teaching.
  Mais, Joyeux Noel!

  • Alan says:

    22 Nov22 November 07:58

    Presumably though, if an advert needs to be explained then its missed the point?

    • Doug M says:

      22 Nov22 November 08:44

      Or some people are being miserable sods today 🙂

      • Alan says:

        22 Nov22 November 10:22

        Maybe that’s it.

• NickM says:

  22 Nov22 November 06:38

  There speaks the creative team from the advertising agency that sold the tosh to the Heathrow Airport marketing department.

• Leo says:

  22 Nov22 November 07:28

  Bah humbug Mr Burgess! It’s a fantastic song by Petula Clark. Nothing sad about it at all! As a fellow child of the seventies it took me straight back to my childhood as did the BA uniforms (“fly the flag”!). The BOAC branding was a bit before my time….They are probably jumping on the Paddington bear bandwagon too.

  • Mike says:

    22 Nov22 November 07:39

    Couldn’t agree more – great song and suits the advert. Doesn’t do BA any harm either and let’s face it, they could do with some good press at the moment.

  • Alastair says:

    22 Nov22 November 07:53

    Agree – great advert. If you look closely, Petula Clark also puts in a cameo appearance sitting across the aisle from the bear at about 40 seconds in.

    • Leo says:

      22 Nov22 November 08:31

      So she does! Missed that. Still going strong and touring at 80 odd.

      • Cate says:

        22 Nov22 November 12:48

        Good spot on Pet Alistair,! Any thoughts on who the taxi driver is?

  • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

    22 Nov22 November 09:28

    In fairness, it’s Anika on the Byline.

    • Rob says:

      22 Nov22 November 09:51

      I am genuinely a child of the 70’s ….

    • Leo says:

      22 Nov22 November 10:09

      Fair point! Sorry Rob.

      • Rob says:

        22 Nov22 November 10:22

        I only asked her to write it because my views on cute Christmas ads are even less acceptable!

• The_real_a says:

  22 Nov22 November 08:42

  This just goes to show that airport fees are too high. What on earth does Heathrow need a brand for? It like the M1 having TV advertising.

  • Rob says:

    22 Nov22 November 09:54

    There are people who would proactively choose Heathrow if the other options (with identical travel time to the airport) were Luton and Stansted, so arguably there is a brand / destination element to it.

    • John says:

      22 Nov22 November 11:33

      I think most people would choose Heathrow over LTN and STN even if they were a bit closer (and the flight prices were similar)!

• Andrew says:

  22 Nov22 November 08:45

  £35.30 for a one way First Class Kings Cross to Stirling ticket in early March. Standard was £16.30. (I forgot to click through from the Nectar App for the extra 500 points).

  Unfortunately, the tickets aren’t yet available for the return journey. I have a few weeks wait to see if good value tickets are released, or I just buy a flight back now to London from GLA or EDI at around £65.

  It’s one of the big problems with travelling by rail in this country. I base my rail price for a walk-on off-peak return fare from KGX to EDI at £138. I know I might get it cheaper, but only if I buy my ticket for up to 12 weeks ahead, but probably not within two weeks or within 8 weeks if travelling on a Friday or Sunday. It essentially means that if I can buy a London-Scotland return flight for £138 or less, I will book the flight.

• Nate1309 says:

  22 Nov22 November 09:17

  No idea how that quiz for your decade works but mine was right. Obviously the 80’s courses through me haha

  • johnny_c-l says:

    22 Nov22 November 12:40

    Apparently I was born 20 years too late!

• Nick says:

  22 Nov22 November 09:23

  Oh Rob, don’t be so cold-hearted!! I love the bears, it’s so sweet and just ‘works’. Made me cry quite a bit too!

  • Rashad says:

    22 Nov22 November 10:15

    aw bless

• czechoslovakia says:

  22 Nov22 November 09:38

  Thanks for Budget tip Rob/Bagoly.
  Needed a motor for 5 days and Budget were the cheapest anyhow. Nice 5000 miles bonus.

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