Superstition forces airline logo change

 

Watch starting from 1 minute:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZga35ODtpE

Superstition has forced a European airline to change its logo. New Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines had to change its 13-red-dot logo on the tail of all its planes because of a flood of complaints from passengers about the combination of thirteen red balls representing bad luck. This number is unlucky in Western culture and many would-be passengers thought it just wouldn’t do on an airplane. Airline officials were taken aback by the volume of disapproving mail they received. Particularly upset was the original logo’s designer Ronane Holt. She said the thirteen dots “looked just right” and had extra significance because the number of dots matched the destinations it flew to in Africa. The design, in the shape of a “b”, also resembled the pattern of lights on an airport runway as planes taxied before take off.

All of the airline’s planes now have to go back to their hangars for a paint job. A fourteenth red dot will be added to the top of the “b”. However, this may not go down well in China, where the number fourteen is unlucky. One-four in Mandarin sounds like the phrase "to want to die". Passengers at Brussels airport were in two minds as to whether or not they thought the fourteen-dot logo would bring better luck. Frequent business flyer Rene Charles said: “In this day and age, superstitions are a little silly. There is no logic behind them.” However, she did admit that she shared the concerns of other passengers and was happier that the newer logo has an extra dot. Brussels Airlines is the result of a merger between SN Brussels Airlines and Virgin Express. It begins flying, with the fourteen dots, on March 25.


1. SUPERSTITIONS: Tell us a superstition that is unique to your country and where/why do you think it started?

2. AIRLINE LOGOS: Go to the Internet and find an airplane logo and explain it to the rest of us.

3. LOGIC: Look at these superstitions. Decide which are real and which are made up.  Try to find the logic behind them.  

  • Never cut your nails after dark
  • Touching wood brings luck
  • Never eat KFC fries in McDonald’s
  • Carrying a rabbit’s foot for luck
  • Study English before breakfast
  • Walking under a ladder is unlucky
  • A broken mirror brings bad luck
  • Singing in the shower is lucky

4. NOT ME!!: Are you superstitious? Are there numbers you do not like? Are there small routines or rituals you have when taking exams? Do you have lucky charms? 

NOTE:  xxxxxxxxxxxxx is the name for the fear of the number 13.


 


5. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.

flood

meaning

b.

would-be

be liked

c.

taken aback

union

d.

significance

potential

e.

resembled

confess

f.

go down well

deluge

g.

in two minds

looked like

h.

logic

undecided

i.

admit

shocked

j.

merger

reason



7.DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS  

  1. Find a superstition (online or not) and explain to us its meaning and origins IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
  2. Are you a superstitious person?
  3. Would the 13 dots on the logo have bothered you?
  4. Do you worry about flying and airplane safety?
  5. If you thought something about an airline was unlucky, would you write an email to complain?
  6. Do you have any small rituals/habits you do when you fly?
  7. Do you believe in fate?
  8. What numbers do you consider to be lucky or unlucky?
  9. Would you feel safer flying with Brussels Airlines if the logo had 13 or 14 red dots?

--------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS  

  1. Did you like reading this article?
  2. What do you think about what you read?
  3. What do you think of the logo of your country’s airline?
  4. What do you think of the Brussels Airlines logo (see p.13)?
  5. How do you think superstitions begin and become part of our culture?
  6. Do you think all superstitions are old, or do new ones come along?
  7. Who is the most superstitious person you know?
  8. Do you have anything you keep with you or use for luck?
  9. Do you think Brussels Airlines should find a fourteenth African destination to match the fourteenth red dot?

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