Not really, but the idea was sound. In the last three months, I’ve flown Southwest Airlines three times. Used to be my over-all favorite airline. Probably still is. They are getting a little corporate and confusing some issues these days, but that doesn’t matter, too much.
The in-flight magazine, published in an ironic twist, by American Airlines, is getting less and less useful. Barely a glance on the last flight. Content and copy to advertising ratio is sadly much worse. Then, too, the articles are more like web-site blurbs, short, pointed, and merely an avenue for advertising. Like a Tweet.
That wasn’t what I wanted to observe, though, I’m pretty sure the magazine had less actual content than my last weekly horoscope. Word count. I know what mine is. Bet I have more than the whole magazine.
The other goodies in the seat back pocket? What caught my attention? A “drink menu.” I’m not interested in the variety of drinks offered, what I recall, last time I flew American Airlines, Business Class, to London, UK, to deal with my father’s overseas estate, there was a printed menu for each of three meals, and selections to be made, and it was all a grand production.
This is sort of an apple and oranges comparison, but it holds up, in one way – menu. Menu items. Display and complexity. The Southwest “menu” is a simple, single page item. The product themselves are a single list on one side of a laminated plastic page. Simple. Easy. Not complicated. Granted, the food isn’t nearly as a good, nor the accommodations as comfortable as American Airlines (Business Class), but – me not being much a drinking man these days – it doesn’t matter.
I was curious about the approach, a simple, one page list versus printed pages tucked inside menu sleeves, with beef, chicken, fish or vegetarian options. Complex versus simple.
While it’s possible to fine-tune astrology to the minute, for a moment-by-moment look at possibilities, I’m most comfortable with the weekly installment. Enough to time to adequately cover the material, but not so long as to be a problem. I’ve done daily, weekly, monthly and yearly astrology reports. I like weekly best.
Simplicity is sometimes the best way to approach the design. I’m trying hard to keep it simple and limited. The “paid subscribers” get the video on Monday, same content, for free on Tuesday, in audio form. Might be wash as to which is better.
Some weeks, I toss in a bonus reel at the end of the video, but I’ve been a little lazy as of late.
That and the written scopes. Weekly scopes. Served up fresh, no repeats, each week.
It’s a simple menu. Not complicated. Can fit on one page. More content with less advertising. Possibly more content than the in-flight magazine. Certainly less advertising.
Good thing items are sold by volume, not weight, as some settling can occur.
Title: Two-Meat Tuesday
More Mercury Notes:
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