Do Those Turkish Airlines Ads Tell Us Anything About 'Batman v. Superman'?
If you watched the Super Bowl last night, you probably saw the new pair of Turkish Airlines commercials that are tied in with Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Actually, unless you fell face-first into a bowl of salsa and were blinded for the entire second half, you definitely saw those commercials because they ran multiple times throughout the fumble-heavy game. (Watch the first one above and the second one below.)
The pair of clips — one of which focuses on Gotham City, while the other spotlights Metropolis — ostensibly promote the fact that this real airline is now flying to both of these rebuilding (and fictional) American cities. Square-jawed businessman Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), who has donated money to the Gotham rejuvenation effort, tells people in his commercial that, “There’s never been a better time to visit our great city,” while Lex Luthor, key backer of Metropolis’s return to glory, says in his ad that Metropolis, “can’t wait to welcome you.”
Assuming that anyone in her right mind would want to fly Turkish Airlines after realizing there’s a real chance she could get stuck sitting next to Lex Luthor, it’s a clever campaign. But as far as building interest in the movie, it’s not quite as effective.
The plot details of Batman v. Superman are still pretty vague. Based on the most recent trailer, we know the superheroes fight, and that Doomsday gets involved, and that eventually the Caped Crusader and Man of Steel make up, join forces with Wonder Woman, and begin to form the Justice League. But potential moviegoers who may not have been tracking each new teaser over the past few months— i.e., probably many of the people who were watching the Super Bowl — probably saw those commercials and felt more confused than anything else.
Related: New ‘Batman v Superman’ Trailer Reveals the Real Villain: Doomsday
Is Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice set in Gotham or Metropolis? Why are both of those cities being rebuilt? Why the hell is Batman on an airplane when the dude can fly wherever he wants to go? Why is Jesse Eisenberg gripping on to that blue stress ball in such a distracting manner? And do these airline tie-ins make anyone more excited about seeing this film?
The answer to that last question, at least right now, is probably no. But the ads shown during the Super Bowl apparently are only the beginning of the Turkish Airlines/Zack Snyder movie partnership. According to a press release from the airline, there will be a pair of Web sites — turkishairlines.com/flytometropolis and turkishairlines/flytogotham — that provide “an exclusive virtual view into the life of each city,” though neither site appears to be live yet; a 777 Turkish Airlines jet wrapped in a Dawn of Justice ad; Batman v. Superman-themed in-flight amenity kits, menu items and frequent flyer cards; and, naturally, Time Out travel guides devoted to helping visitors navigate Gotham and Metropolis, two cities that don’t exist in real life.
As for fully understanding what this movie is about, that will have to wait until March 25, when Batman v. Superman flies into theaters.
