FractionalFocus - Blog

One hurdle that all fractional jet providers must overcome is a psychological one. That’s because many, if not most, of those pondering the investment struggle with the notion of private jet travel seemingly overly extravagant. And even for those who have come to terms with the cost/benefit analysis, they may still wonder what others—be they buddies or members of the board—think of their fractional jet.

That’s why the ad from NetJets featuring two of the world’s richest men, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, just doesn’t fly with us. There’s a lot these men can afford to do—such as buy NetJets, which is exactly what Buffett did in 1998—that most everyone else, including the merely “very wealthy” can’t.

In the ad (shown at the end of this post), the two men are sitting close on a couch inside the cabin (more like a posh living room) of a large and luxurious jet.

Each man is sans suit jacket, tie and shoes. Sleeves—or in Gates’ case, a sleeve—are rolled up. On the coffee table before them is small plate of fruit, another plate with a couple of cookies and bowl of jelly beans. Each has a (rum and?) Coke in front of them. Interestingly, Buffet’s glass is not sitting on a coaster. Wouldn’t you expect better manners from a billionaire? Then again, maybe his butler couldn’t make this trip.

With playing cards on the table, the men appear to be taking a break from some gin rummy. Gates is laughing at a remark by Buffett. The scene begs one to imagine what Buffett may be saying: Looks like I won again, Billy boy! You owe me $32 million. Wanna go double or nothing?

The copy in the ad notes that Gates became a NetJets owner in ‘99, that Buffet preceded him in ‘95 and then bought the company a few years later. There’s also a list of NetJet’s leadership claims paying off the “Only NetJets” headline: world’s largest fleet, most aircraft types, etc. These facts are reassuring—and impressive—and could be working much harder in this ad. But instead they get lost in this ad which seems more a like pitch for the TV show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”

We get that the creators of the ad might think they are portraying two of the world’s most financially shrewd men, and there’s no denying that these are indeed two money-wise men. But that notion is overwhelmed by the staggering wealth of these iconic men.

Yes, some people may believe that the only thing standing between them and the hard-to-fathom riches of Gates and Buffett is a fractional jet. This ad could prove quite persuasive to them. Call us foolish, but we choose to believe that there aren’t that many ignorant people out there—particularly, in this target income bracket—to make this ad an effective one.