Passenger pains: Virgin America releases six-hour advert

US – Sitting through a six-hour flight is bad enough, but watching someone else’s takes the experience to a different level.

Virgin America has released the six-hour film as part of its new advertising campaign, BLAH Airlines, in which it shows creepy mannequins more befitting a budget horror film as they travel from Newark Liberty International Airport to San Francisco.

Created by San Francisco-based advertising agency Eleven, the online film was shot in a combination of the first and third person, and shows every excruciatingly mundane minute of the flight, which begins, fittingly, with the sound of the seat in front being kicked repeatedly by a child.

Designed to show travellers just how bad it can be to fly on any run-of-the-mill airline, other treats include screeching flight attendants, creepy, staring children, and a woman who insists on spraying hairspray right next to you.

As part of an immersive, cross-platform campaign, Eleven has also created a company website for BLAH Airlines, a hotline and a Twitter account that posts banal, cringeworthy travel tips and information.

Read our Frustration Marketing microtrend for more on how brands are playing with the expectations of their audience to differentiate themselves in a saturated marketplace.