How Will Airlines Handle the Return of Boeing's 737 Max 8?

Asking customers to fly on a jet that's crashed twice in a year is a tough sell

Inspiration meets innovation at Brandweek, the ultimate marketing experience. Join industry luminaries, rising talent and strategic experts in Phoenix, Arizona this September 23–26 to assess challenges, develop solutions and create new pathways for growth. Register early to save.

On a late May day in 1979, an American Airlines flight lost its left engine during takeoff, forcing it to arc and roll before crashing in a field not far from its runway at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. All 273 people aboard were killed.

Within two weeks, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the plane, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, now dubbed the “Death Cruiser-10” by a horrified public.

Needless to say, McDonnell Douglas needed a rebrand. J. Walter Thompson created a print and television campaign, which emphasized the airplane manufacturer as a leader in “aerospace technology.”

The campaign did not mention the crash.

At

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

To Read the Full Story Become an Adweek+ Subscriber

View Subscription Options

Already a member? Sign in