Lost and hound!
KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines, is making sure its customer service goes to the dogs.
More specifically, a marketing campaign that shows an adorable beagle trained to find passengers’ property left behind, in-flight or in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, KLM’s hub.
From cellphones forgotten in overhead cabins, to laptops left in the lounge, “Doing whatever it takes to return your lost items” is the airline’s promise. The ad, created by DDB & Tribal Worldwide, shows a dog detective named “Sherlock”, successfully returning lost belongings.
The uber-cute promotional video, released by the Dutch airline on YouTube yesterday, follows one of its canine superheroes, clad in an official blue and yellow vest to match the airline’s signature colours. While some airlines have customers barking at them these days, KLM shows that it goes beyond the call of duty with its fleet of four-legged customer service representatives. According to the commercial, these special forces (or special furces, in this case!) are trained to track down the owners of the lost property.
Beagles, like other hounds, have one of the most advanced senses of smell of any dog breed. Beagles may be one of the smallest hound types, but they have the same number of scent receptors as a German Shepherd. Those large dogs are typically found in roles like police work and airport security; KLM’s canines would be far less intimidating when presenting a toddler’s lost teddy bear to its tiny owner.
If this service actually existed, it almost makes one consider intentionally leaving something behind in hopes of the lost and found crew sniffing you out. They may not be Labradors, but they are definitely retrievers.
Are KLM’s cute canine detective ads too misleading or effective ? We’d like to know what you think. Please enter your comments below.