Taking care of your VIB – ‘Very Important Bear’
Elvis once sang about a Teddy Bear. In his immortal words, “Put a chain around my neck and don’t leave me anywhere.” The song refers to the heartbreak surrounding a lost cuddly companion. #1007 in the Purple Goldfish Project offers a novel solution to that problem from Thomson Airlines in the UK:
As reported by the Daily Mail:
It can be one of the most upsetting issues affecting a junior traveller – that moment of carelessness or distraction that sees a teddy bear left lying on an airport seat, or lost by a baggage carousel, spinning around in sorry silence amid the last remaining suitcases.
So little tourists flying with one of the UK’s main holiday airlines this summer will be pleased to know that a remedy has been put in place to guard against forgotten soft toys. Thomson Airways is launching a novel front-desk process that will allow young holiday makers to ‘check in’ their teddies before they climb onto the plane.
Teddies can be registered prior to flying, and will even be given a special boarding pass, which can be exchanged for a VIB – ‘Very Important Buddy’ – tag at the gate. The idea is to help ensure that children take extra care and do not misplace their favorite furry companions amid the flurry and noise of a busy airport.
Gatwick Airport’s lost-property department receives up to 30 lost teddy bears and assorted cuddly animals every month – each one presumably leading to a hailstorm of tears and stamped feet somewhere at 30,000ft.
‘As a family-friendly tour operator, we like to make a fuss of children travelling on our holidays, both in resort and on their flight,’ says Carl Gissing of Thomson Airways. ‘We know that kids will love checking their toys in and taking home the VIB tag as a souvenir.’
Marketing Lagniappe Takeaway – it’s one thing to say you a family friendly . . . but giving a little unexpected extra that proves it speaks volumes.
Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra thrown in for good measure) – a vintage 65 year old cut from “The King”:
