Pan Am

The way the world wants Late 1970s United States

Pan American World Airways was the worldly airline and advertised this feature on this commercial showing its international accents with a touch of North American hospitality. The background song is appropriately titled "We Fly the Way The World Wants to Fly".

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 1.90 MB, from Adland)

Say Hello 1980 United States

Following the merger with National Airlines in 1980, Pan Am introduced its "Say Hello to Pan Am" jingle. Once again, it portrays people from many of Pan Am's destinations in an attempt to portray that two airlines working together are better, by getting you there with one check-in and one ticket. It is interesting to notice that more than twenty years later, airlines don't necessarily merge but form partnerships to achieve this same goal. Also interesting is that Air Canada had a similar ad idea about ten years later...

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 3.42 MB, from TVDays.com)

Tradition 1983 Japan

Hiroshi Yagyu, a Japanese television actor, makes you briefly relive the lavish service Pan Am offered aboard its China Clipper seaplane in the 1930s, on to a more modern-age First and Clipper Class. The background music is one of Pan Am's final jingles and slogans, "You Can't Beat The Experience". Only two years after airing this commercial and amid heavy financial losses, Pan Am sold its Pacific routes to United. With the help of a fellow YouTuber, the author took the liberty of adding English subtitles.

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 1.82 MB, from YouTube user)

Club Late 1980s International

Pan American World Airways was known for its Clipper Class, which was more or less the 1980s equivalent of Business Class. This commercial beautifully advertises this "Club" as something very exclusive with free drinks, elegant dining, spacious surroundings and free lodging. Had it not been for the Pan Am helicopter service blatantly advertised halfway through the commercial, one could have easily wondered if this was really an airline or some kind of country club or hotel. With the posh British accent and the passenger reading The Times, it is to wonder if this ad was aimed at the UK passengers flying to North America.

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 2.39 MB, from YouTube user)

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