La-Z-Boy, Inventor of the Recliner, Launches Campaign to Ban Reclining on Airplanes
By The Minneapolis Egotist / /
The La-Z-Boy #BanReclining campaign urges more passengers to “do the upright thing” by reclining at home and not aboard their flight.
Passengers who sign La-Z-Boy’s pledge at BanReclining.com can win free recliners and flight credits.
As the holiday travel season approaches, La-Z-Boy, the iconic American furniture company that invented the recliner nearly 100 years ago, is launching a tongue-in-cheek campaign aimed at persuading airline passengers to keep their seats upright to avoid making fellow passengers uncomfortable — or worse.
Airplane etiquette — specifically if and when it is appropriate to recline — is a highly charged and polarizing subject. In recent years, dozens of viral clips featuring in-flight incidents sparked by passengers reclining have flooded social platforms, online media, and broadcast airwaves. According to a survey recently conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of La-Z-Boy, 41% of American adults would support a ban on passengers reclining their seats on domestic flights.
The La-Z-Boy #BanReclining campaign calls on airplane passengers who always recline, occasional recliners, and anti-recliners alike to sign a pledge committing them to keeping their seats upright. By signing the pledge at BanReclining.com, passengers can win one of five prize packages that include a free La-Z-Boy recliner (valued up to $1,000) and a $500 airfare credit.
“La-Z-Boy has spent nearly 100 years innovating and crafting the most comfortable, high-quality recliners. While this continues to set our products apart, we believe comfort shouldn’t come at others’ expense,” said Nelly Martinez Garza, Senior Director of Consumer Marketing, La-Z-Boy. “Our #BanReclining campaign is simple: Just because you can recline doesn’t mean you always should.”
Through a digital video, a series of social media vignettes, and influencer collaborations, La-Z-Boy’s #BanReclining campaign captures the sometimes not-so-friendly skies where the simple act of reclining can cause serious turmoil. Campaign content depicts the spectrum of emotions experienced by passengers when their already-limited space is reduced by a reclining seat ahead of them while urging all passengers to “do the upright thing.”
The #BanReclining campaign will appear in contexts meant to reach airline passengers during their travels. The paid media plan includes digital billboards in New York City’s Times Square, one of the world’s busiest tourist attractions, as well as in-terminal Wi-Fi pre-roll and digital signage throughout the concourses at three major hubs that are among the busiest in the U.S.: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
“A key aspect of La-Z-Boy’s modernized brand positioning is being at the forefront of comfort-related conversations in culture, and contributing in unexpected ways,” said Nicolina Johnson, National Marketing Manager, La-Z-Boy. “Taking a side in this ongoing airplane etiquette debate — the right side, to be clear — allows us to conjure the transformative comfort of reclining at home in one of our luxurious recliners. We think it’s a feeling most passengers long for while wedged into their airplane seat.”
The #BanReclining campaign was developed by Minneapolis creative agency Colle McVoy and its boutique public relations agency, Exponent. Campaign content was directed by Pete Marquis and Mike Egan and was produced by Good Behavior.
For more information, follow La-Z-Boy on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Credits:
CLIENT: La-Z-Boy
Christy Hoskins, Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer
Nelly Martinez Garza, Senior Director of Consumer Marketing
Nicolina Johnson, National Marketing Manager
Rachel Long, Senior National Marketing Specialist
Theresa Fenner, Director of Integrated Marketing Strategy
Madeline Jursek, Integrated Media Strategy Manager
Gail Bruce, Director, Creative Operations
Jill Brown Thomas, Senior Director of Digital Commerce
Todd Townsend, Senior E-Commerce Site Maintenance Specialist
Greg Patrisso, E-Commerce Manager
Jessica Charlton, Art Manager
Karry Oleszkiewicz, Retail Media Strategy Manager
Laura Pierce, Senior Retail Media Strategist
Cara Klaer, Senior Director of Corporate Communications
Lauren Davison, CRM Manager
Amy Biselas, Senior Email Designer
COLLE MCVOY
Ciro Sarmiento, Chief Creative Officer
Jessica Henrichs, President
Dave Fransen, Senior Vice President, Earned Creative
Andrew Miller, Vice President, Group Earned Creative and Media Relations Director
Laurel Osman, Senior Vice President, Integrated Production
Katie Hartman, Senior Vice President, Group Account Director
Victoria Berry, Associate Account Director
Greta Hatzung, Designer
Ryan Seibold, Senior Copywriter
Carl Martin, Associate Creative Director
Diana Quenemoen, Vice President, Group Design Director
Allie Quinnell, Project Manager
Annie Huynh, Project Manager
Sergio Monroy, Creative Director
Phil Kjelland, Senior Integrated Studio Artist
Eric Skaare, Vice President, Director of Studio
Beth Smith, Business Affairs Manager
Sam Huinker, Interactive Producer
Charlie Hield, Senior Creative Technologist
Jessica Munro, Account Supervisor
Joseph Waite, Account Director
Sarah Baldus, Associate Account Director
Karisa Erickson, Account Executive
Kiara Davis, Account Executive
SPECIALTY PARTNERS
MEDIA:
Zimmerman
SOCIAL MEDIA:
RPA
PRODUCTION PARTNERS
Production:
Production Co: Good Behavior
Lead Director: Pete Marquis
Social Director: Mike Egan
Executive Producer: Victoria Guenier
Producer: Adam Lawson
Photographer: Michael Khachadoorian
Post-Production:
Post-Production Co: Good Behavior, Colle McVoy
Editor: Dick Gordon, Good Behavior
Social Editor: Steve Gruebel, Good Behavior
OOH Editor: Carl Martin, Colle McVoy
Post Producer: Mitch Herndon
Survey Method:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of La-Z-Boy from October 16-18, 2024 among 2,051 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among which 1,876 have been on airplane at least once. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Andrew Miller at [email protected].
About La-Z-Boy
La-Z-Boy Incorporated brings the transformational power of comfort to people, homes, and communities around the world – a mission that began when its founders invented the iconic recliner in 1927. Today, the company operates as a vertically integrated furniture retailer and manufacturer, committed to uncompromising quality and compassion for its consumers.
The Retail segment consists of about 190 company-owned La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® stores, and is part of a broader network of over 350 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries® that, with La-Z-Boy.com, serve customers nationwide. Joybird®, an e-commerce retailer and manufacturer of modern upholstered furniture, has 12 stores in the U.S. In the Wholesale segment, La-Z-Boy manufactures comfortable, custom furniture for its Furniture Galleries® and a variety of retail channels, England Furniture Co. offers custom upholstered furniture, and casegoods brands Kincaid®, American Drew®, and Hammary® provide pieces that make every room feel like home. To learn more, please visit: https://www.la-z-boy.com/.
Comments
Dan November 14, 2024
Lazyboy is coming out against reclining? Really?! The petition should demand airlines stop cramming customers into planes like sardines so people can use the seats they paid for as intended. This feels off-brand and just plain gross.