Braniff The Braniff Promise Campaign with Flags TV Commercial January 1980

Braniff's The Promise Campaign included this impressive commercial that featured Braniff employees dressed in their chic Halston designed uniforms standing before a background of colorful Braniff flags. Each employee would make a promise to Braniff's customers such as the promise to fly meticulously maintained airplanes and to run an on-time airline. Braniff Chairman Harding Lawrence felt that only Braniff employees could make promises to Braniff customers rather than paid actors. Mr. Lawrence himself lent his voice as narrator for the colorful spots that featured a happy musical jingle with the "We Better Be Better" slogan.

Besides Mr. Lawrence's narration, ten Braniff employees worked for two days under hot lights to film The Braniff Promise commercial. Louise Gilliam, former Manager of Employee Communication and at the time of the filming, Base Manager of Flight Attendants at DFW Airport, coordinated the filming of the first ads. Braniff employees who starred in the production included Captain Jim Hammill; DFW Customer Service Agent Bob Clark; DFW-based Flight Attendant Sandy Gravatt; Love Field Mechanic Bob Leander; DFW Customer Service Agent Kit Costa; Jack Vondra, Manager of Computer Services; JFK Cargo Serviceman, Phil Geraldi; Dallas Reservations Agent Lori Burkhalter; Greg Henderson, Customer Service Agent at Boston, and DFW-based Flight Attendant Ross Kyllo.

An outside casting director interviewed and tested 500 Braniff employees for the ten slots. A voice tape was made along with a videotape of each interviewee for the final selection which was made by the television production company that produced the commercial. The Promise commercial was filmed on a Los Angeles sound stage, while the second segments were shot at various Braniff destinations. The second commercials emphasized Braniff's unique destinations and included several Braniff employees marching arm and arm through beautiful settings at the selected destinations.

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