FractionalFocus - Blog

Some ads say so much. Some don’t say much at all. And then there are ads that somehow manage to say nothing at all. This Marquis Jet Card ad is an excellent example of the latter. An ad that leaves a lot to be desired.
Is it presumptuous for me to claim to know what makes for a good ad, and what makes for a so-so ad? We would like to think not. In addition to my intense interest in fractional jets, I also run an advertising firm called Barefoot. And as I evaluate the providers in this space, I can’t help but also evaluate their advertising.

So, regarding the Marquis Jet Card ad now in question, it features an image of one of their cards belonging to a one John T. Waters who flies on a Gulfstream 400/450. The headline begins: “It’s not just a card. It’s a choice.”

OK, that’s sort of interesting. How is the Marquis Jet Card more than a card, and why is it the best choice for me? Wouldn’t you like to know? We would. Well, the answer, if you can call it that, can be found in the second half of the headline: “A choice to experience the best of the best. A choice to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.”

Well, that sounds good, too. Who among us wouldn’t like to experience the “best of the best” and to enjoy life’s journeys as much as its destinations? But, again, just what in the hell does that mean? The ad never explains itself or answers the very questions it raises. There’s no meaningful explanation or answers found in the body copy either. There’s merely high-level talk of “uncompromising quality, consistency and safety” that the Marquis jet Card program, run by NetJets, offers you.

But, again, we ask: What does this mean? Perhaps the details got delayed - on a commercial flight, no doubt. Marquis Jet Card wants you to believe in them because of their affiliation with NetJets. We get that NetJets is well known and respected, but that alone isn’t enough for me to appreciate what their jet card program offers over others. The ad assumes that the reader knows a lot about NetJets, which may not be the case.

You have heard the advice spoken to attorneys: Don’t ask a question in court whose answer you don’t already know. Otherwise, you, your client and your case may be painfully surprised by the answer. Well, the same basic principle applies to ads, too: Don’t put questions in the consumer’s mind and not be quick with an answer. A real answer, that is. One that is relevant, clear, detailed and perhaps most important of all: believable.

We all want to make the best choice in our fractional jet card provider. In this ad, Marquis Jet Card boldly claims they are the best choice, but they don’t seem to eager to tell us why.

Hmm.

And we find that a rather strange choice in ad strategy.