The Controversial Jennifer Aniston Emirates Commercial You Forgot About
Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer's Super Bowl 2024 ad brought us a whole lot of "Friends" nostalgia, but it also reminded us of Aniston's poorly received 2015 Emirates ad. The eerie commercial starts with a confused Aniston trying to find a shower in an airplane while donning a robe and carrying toiletries. After a few seconds of unfruitful searching, she finds some flight attendants and asks them where the shower is, but they tell her it doesn't exist.
To make matters worse, they inform her that they don't have a lounge either and offer her a hot towel for a shower. The "Murder Mystery" star insists that Emirates planes always have showers and lounges, and a steward tells her that she isn't on an Emirates plane. The news sends Aniston spiraling, and she starts to cry as the flight attendants laugh in her face. Then, we realize it was all a nightmare that Aniston later describes to the bartender on her Emirates plane.
Some people found the ad snobby and out-of-touch since Aniston got so worked up over minor inconveniences. When a Reddit user posted it on the platform, most people couldn't see the problem. One Redditor wrote that the airline industry deserved to be criticized because flying economy wasn't nearly as comfortable as it used to be since they supposedly incorporated more seats to make more money. However, another user took issue with how it made affordable airlines seem like the worst way to reach your destination when the alternative was out of budget for most people.
Delta Airlines responded to the Emirates ad through a video
Delta Airlines reportedly wasn't too happy about Jennifer Aniston's Emirates ad. According to the Daily Mail, they made their disdain known in an employee training video with a narrator, saying, "The Gulf carriers have destroyed competition in countries worldwide, and now they are targeting the United States with lavish sponsorships and slick advertising." The video also featured two Delta employees who were fans of Aniston, hurt by how she painted U.S.-based carriers in a negative light.
Yahoo! reported that Delta's reaction video wasn't well-received. Some commentators wrote that the airline should put their resources towards bettering its services instead of trying to take down its competitors. Another user said Delta's ad backfired because it brought their attention to a superior service they wouldn't have stumbled upon otherwise. As for Emirates, they didn't seem to have any regrets about the ad.
According to Fox News, Boutros Boutros, Emirates' SVP of Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand, responded to them in an e-mail, writing that they wanted to go against the grain with their commercial by adding a touch of humor. Boutros also had high praises for Aniston, saying, "We couldn't think of anyone better suited for the role than Jennifer Aniston. Her professionalism and comedic talent shone on the set and we are very pleased with the outcome." He also noted that the backlash wasn't a cause for concern because the customer had the option to go whichever airline best suited their needs, and Emirates had plenty of things to love.
Jennifer Aniston made another ad with Emirates
Although Jennifer Aniston didn't directly address the negative attention from her Emirates ad, it's safe to say she might not have lost sleep over it because she took home $5 million from the partnership, per Page Six. She went on to make another commercial with Emirates in 2016. The new ad subtly referenced the more controversial one by starting with a shot of Aniston drying her hair after a shower. This time, the "We're The Millers" star left the comforts of first-class behind to sit in economy with the rest of us mere mortals because she formed a sweet bond with a young boy in the section.
In 2017, the U.S. government banned passengers from carrying laptops and other large electronics on international flights from some Middle Eastern airports. Emirates seemingly responded by using clips of Aniston from their 2016 commercial to showcase how their in-flight entertainment system negated the need for a laptop. The ban was lifted a few months after its imposition, but what remained was Aniston's reputation as a bit of a snob, which was instated well before her first Emirates ad.
An insider told RadarOnline in 2013 that Aniston wasn't exactly a joy to work with on a film set. They explained that she didn't sit through lunch with castmates, refused to join them in production vans, and opted to travel in her expensive car instead of a production van. "Her behavior is a clear indicator to everyone that she's not approachable," they noted.