TWA

Million dollars 1971 United States

Forget for a moment that this is a sexist commercial in which the woman is just there to do some pep talk to the husband (played by Judd Hirsch) who brings home the bacon. This rare ad shows how employee incentives could translate into excellent customer service! And who can forget the corny "Success has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan"?

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Trans World Service Mid 1970s United States

Peter Sellers starred in several TWA commercials in which he portrays stereotypical Europeans such as this posh British man. After all, the airline is meant to give one "a taste of Europe flying in the USA" with movies, drinks and food inspired by European traditions.

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View other commercial from the same campaign #2 (external link to YouTube)
View other commercial from the same campaign #3 (external link to YouTube)

Built for comfort 1977 United States

Sure, the cabin and the flight deck are obvious mock-ups, but who cares? This is the 1970s and flying is still a wonderful experience in coach. No personal television screens, but lots of legroom and space on the L-1011! And steak in coach! This is also the beginning of the stripes color scheme for TWA, although with hollow "Trans World" titles on the fuselage. The announcer at the end appears to be sports announcer Don Criqui.

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Kids 1980 United States

In this commercial, the airline promotes free travel for children, although with several conditions, as indicated by the small print appearing here and there. The child's attitude is delightful and can easily remind you of what it felt like to travel as a child! The 1980s jingle in the end is "You're going to like us."

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747 Ambassador Class 1981 United States

A Boeing 747 economy class cabin never looked so cramped in this second "You're going to like us" ad. The airline promotes Ambassador class as an alternative. Professional basketball player Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain, at 7 feet 1, is featured as having found a seat fit for him on TWA!

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 1.88 MB, from Wasting Time)

Europe 1980s United States

Another "You're going to like us" commercial with two charming TWA employees from Paris and London. They promote what they call the "number one airline" to Europe, in an era when TWA indeed had a large number of trans-Atlantic flights. The prices appearing on the screen are presumabily in US Dollars and applicable to departures from the West Coast.

View this commercial (downloadable AVI movie, 1.98 MB, from YouTube user)

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