United doesn’t have a leg to stand on

A recent article in the online edition of the Chicago Tribune described a gruesome scene: Pam Hearne of Floral Park, N.Y., returned to her house one morning to find a severed human leg in her yard, “naked but for the white Adidas sneaker on its foot.” The leg, it turned out, likely came from a stowaway on a plane who was dismembered by landing gear. Yuck. But wait. As if the story—and the unfortunate Adidas product placement—weren’t bad enough, sitting next to the article, at least for some readers (banner ads do rotate, after all), was a United Airlines ad with the headline, “Enjoy more legroom with Economy Plus from United.” Ouch! Our thanks to the journal BusinessMedia for their sharp eyes and timely screen grab.

—Posted by Mae Anderson

June 9, 2005 in Anderson | Permalink