Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan’s national airlines has become a center of jokes after it launched an advertisement about resumption of flights from Islamabad to Paris, France.
On January 10, the PIA postyed an advertisement on its official X handle announcing the resumption of the Islamabad-Paris flight. The advertisement shows a flight heading to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The advertisement reads “We’re Coming Today. Resuming Flights from Islamabad -Paris on January 10”.
This ad has led to humourous reactions from netizens in Pakistan.
One of the X users shared an old advertisement of the PIA showing a flight hovering over the twin towers of the World Trade Centre (WTC). The ad lauched in 1970s was about direct flights from Karachi to New York.
The user named Yasir shared the old advertisement with a caption “This was PIA’s ad in the 70’s….. when will they learn.”
Warren Wihelm, another X user asked, who thought this was a good idea?
Some users questioned the graphic design and the thought process behind the advertisement.
“Aaj Ke Zamane mein Itna bekaar graphic kaun banata hai yaar?” (Who creates such cheap graphics in modern times?) asked one user.
“What’s that? who is the graphic designer ?” asked Nomi
Nick, asked whether the PIA wants to take the Eiffel Tower away, “They already lost Notre Dame, Now you want to take the Eiffel Tower away?”
Ashley Munoz said this ad was not the best, “So Muslims Think it’s a good idea to have a large passenger plane aimed towards the Eiffel Tower? Not the best advertisement to be honest”
Some others asked the Pakistan carrier to fire its marketing managers.
Netizens also drew parallels between the PIA advertisement and 9/11 attack on the WTC in New York.