Snakes On A Plane!

What was your reaction to that heading?

An immediate image and associated emotions, I'd wager. And that's good news, because this is not going to be a rant about in-flight service or cattle-class cretins. No, "Snakes on a Plane" is the title of a forthcoming movie - a movie I really want to see.

It's unlikely to be a masterpiece but it's a clever conceit that is utterly encapsulated in those four words. There's your marketing campaign right there - it's snakes on a plane - what more do you need to know?

So why was the company going to change the title to Pacific Air Twenty One? Did they think that would appeal to a broader demographic who might otherwise not have been interested in airborne asps? Did they think someone might think that it was some zen comedy about a guy called Snake? As William Goldman said Nobody Knows Anything.

Fortunately they've seen sense (or Samuel L Jackson has banged heads) and reverted to the original title. The best marketing is knowing when to keep it simple and not getting over-complicated for the sake of justifying your fee. Connect the product to its audience and forget about advertising awards.

There's a plane, there's snakes. It's Snakes On A Plane!