Airlines Squabble Over Goose Mascots That Happen To Both Love Flying Commercial
By Mikelle Leow, 06 Sep 2022
Despite having wings, Gerry the goose prefers to put his webbed feet up during his travels, and chooses to fly Emirates, where inflight entertainment and meals are provided. What do the other birds outside his window get? Sky and seeds? Pfft!
However, it turns out that Gerry is hardly the first goose to expect to be pampered in this manner. Air New Zealand also has its own winged regular, named Dave, with a soft feathery spot for Kiwi hospitality.
Emirates recently introduced its avian passenger Gerry in a new commercial.
Air New Zealand, on the other hand, believes it’s won the chicken goose and egg story because it first showcased Dave the goose in a similar advertisement back in 2016.
The New Zealand-based airline has released a comeback video in which Air New Zealand’s Dave applauds Emirates’ Gerry for finally getting on board (literally) with comfortable plane rides.
But—there’s a but—Dave says Gerry has made the wrong choice of picking Emirates instead of Air New Zealand.
Gerry ya goose, you got the wrong airline! ð¤¦âï¸ @emirates pic.twitter.com/Kmjt529dLy
— Air New Zealand âï¸ (@FlyAirNZ) September 2, 2022
Emirates then flocks to the scene with a response video of Gerry the Emirates goose explaining why he’d stick with his original decision of Emirates as his preferred mode of travel. It’s “impeckable,” says Gerry.
Don't wing it, Dave! You definitely want to fly with Emirates for the long haul. And Dubai is a sweet spot for migratory stops. See you here! @FlyAirNZ pic.twitter.com/XMM0ynpzwZ
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) September 3, 2022
“And Dubai is a sweet spot for migratory stops,” Emirates adds.
While Air New Zealand concludes its trolling with the line, “A better way for geese to fly since 2016,” Emirates ends the entire debate with its official tagline: “Fly Better.”
Nevertheless, Air New Zealand later tells Newshub: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flappery.”
With the internet being a hotbed for conflict, this feud could easily get ugly. Instead, this story about two lazy geese who appreciate the finer things in life has transpired into friendly banter—in one of the videos, the two characters are even shown taking a selfie with one another!
It’s nice to see rivaling brands finally pick the higher ground, which, incidentally, is what migratory birds do.
[via B&T and Newshub, videos and images via various sources]