Spirit Airlines

Abstract

Spirit Airlines, known for its low airfare and its controversial promotions, ran a June 2010 web promotion that instructed viewers to “Check Out the Oil on Our Beaches”.  The promotion ran only a few months after an underwater oil well operated by British Petroleum (BP) had exploded, instantly killing eleven people.  The April 20 explosion was continuing to destroy the livelihood of thousands of people as well as the ecology of the region as it was pouring millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.  Many residents of the region were left bankrupt.

Spirit’s promotions included pictures of bikini-clad women with green and yellow sunscreen bottles (BP’s colors) that included “Best Protection” on the labels such that B and P were accentuated.  Outraged consumers accused Spirit of exploiting a horrific disaster for commercial purposes.  Spirit Airlines faced a decision of how to respond to this public outcry regarding its potentially profitable promotion.