An advertisement by United Airlines has left people scratching their heads this week.
The advert, located in the London Underground, was shared on Twitter by a commuter who asked for help to understand what it could mean.
Iris Goldsztajn wrote: "Please what does this mean I am LOSING my MIND," sharing a picture of the advert.
With a large picture of a child doing a cartwheel, the United Airlines ad reads: "Fly to more than 200 places where you can wear pants outside," adding that United Airlines flies to more than 200 destinations across the U.S.
A spokesperson from the United Airlines Media Relations team helped clear things up and told Newsweek: "This is an advertisement running in London only. What Americans call pants, Brits call underwear. This ad shows that we are two nations separated by a common language and that United Airlines can help get U.K.-based travelers to destinations across the U.S., where wearing 'pants' is totally acceptable."
But more than 71,000 viewers of the tweet could not figure out what it meant.
"I thought the SAME thing when I saw this," said one reply. "Still don't get it."
Another wrote: "I would love to have been a fly on the wall in this marketing meeting—I'm confused too."
"I understand that pants has two meanings," clarified Goldsztajn, talking to Newsweek. "But I still think it's a terrible and unclear joke."
In the U.K., unlike in the U.S., pants always refer to underwear, and so United Airlines used the play on words to encourage British people to visit the U.S. where nobody would bat an eyelid at you wearing pants outdoors—because in the U.S. pants aren't underwear.
Advertising is an essential part of many business models, but campaigns aren't always straightforward and can land companies in hot water. For example, a Balenciaga advert that was slammed last year for controversial imagery of children.
Most recently, Bud Light has been at the center of controversy over an advert featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
United Airlines didn't receive nearly as much backlash for their London-based ad, but the copy still left people quite confused.
"As a marketing copywriter, this makes my head hurt," said one Twitter user after seeing the picture of the advert, while another said: "As a U.S. expat in London, I'd still find this a little confusing."
Not everyone was against it though, as some praised the advert. "Actually quite clever, if that's in the U.K., because of pants (underwear)/trousers," said one reply.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
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