IT'S VERY DARING, THE CONTINENTAL...

Continental Airlines, of blessed memory, was always the hippest of the big bird carriers. Beginning with it's iconic 'Jet Stream' logo from the 1960s (designed by none other than Saul Bass) and continuing through its luxe and sexy planes of the 70s and 80s, Continental always struck me as the airline that would never go away, the one that would set the standard for all generations to come--a la Rolls Royce, Steinway, Viking, Bang and Olufsen etc.

It was especially apparent in the truly inventive and quite hilarious commercials of the late 70s and early 80s. Above I've posted a reel containing about a dozen of the best Continental ads. Alas, Continental wasn't fated to go the distance--it merged with United Airlines in 2010 due to increased financial insecurity and lost it's name, status and brand. Instead we got the humorless American Airlines, the personality-free Delta Airlines, the erratic Jet Blue Airlines, the low-rent Southwest Airlines and the horrible United Airlines, all of which outlived this wonderful brand. Continental Airlines is dead. Long live Continental Airlines.

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