Apparently, according to BA's new advertising campaign, "Terminal 5 is working".
That's good. It's handy when things work. In fact, it's a bit more than that, isn't it? It's a downright prerequisite.
Imagine, there you are, hurtling down the runway, the co-pilot about to give the command "rotate", and a little light comes on in the passenger cabin. It says "Your 777 is working."
Is it just me, or does that message not fill you with reassurance?
In the same way, being told that Terminal 5 is working doesn't really make me think all is well. I know there were some teething problems (if you can call sending baggage for Bristol to Bogota a teething problem), but I thought things were running pretty well down there now. Until that ad told me "Terminal 5 is working". Now I'm not so sure.
You see, it's a bit like coming home to your significant other and saying, "Hi darling, I didn't spend this afternoon in a suite at Claridge's with several bottles of champagne and my secretary. How was your day?" It raises rather more questions than it answers.
Anyone else remember the wonderful British Rail campaign in 1985? It had the tag line "we're getting there". Of course, no-one believed it because BR wasn't getting anywhere. But at least it had the virtue of humility, an admission that they had screwed up before and were trying.
"Terminal 5 is working" doesn't even have that - it's another example of a corporation believing the public are easily duped. They're not - far from it. It's a bit of a shame - the ad concept with its live time updates on baggage and people is a gem. It's a wonderfully simple, creative way of getting the REAL point over. The point that yes, we made a right arse of ourselves on Day 1, but now we're back in control and it's all OK.
A simple, powerful idea that's almost completely shot out of the air by the tagline. Shame.
