La-Z-Boy Seeks to Ban Reclining in Airplane Seats

They may not be 100 percent serious here

Ouch! My knees! Why must I suffer at 30,000 feet?

Reclining-chair kingpin La-Z-Boy urges passengers to stop sliding back their airline seats in work launching today from Colle McVoy.

Videos, social vignettes and influencer content drive #BanReclining.

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“As frequent work travelers, we were inspired by countless unpleasant experiences on airlines that—at least 90 percent of the time—resulted from the person in front of us reclining into our limited personal space,” Dave Fransen, SVP of Colle’s Exponent creative arm, tells Muse.

“The magic of the idea was in the juxtaposition of the extreme comfort of a La-Z-Boy versus the extreme discomfort you can experience on a flight,” he says. “By working with the brand to take a stand against in-flight reclining, we could tell the world there’s no comfort greater than reclining in your La-Z-Boy in your home. So let’s all save it for those moments.”

Glad to see agencies addressing such soaring issues of our times. Nothing else to worry about these days.

Kidding aside, it’s probably a smart flight plan. Recliners on planes are problematic, so that should resonate. It’s like Audible targeting workplace sandwich thieves: relatable stuff based in fact, unlikely to offend.

Of course, if I choose to recline over Albuquerque, that’s my business. You recline, too. And the person behind you can follow suit. Everything will work out fine.

The team shot on a set in L.A. housing two decommissioned fuselages.

“The biggest laugh of the day came from Lin, our knitting passenger,” Fransen recalls. “At the end of one take after being reclined into, she lifted her needles above the seat and banged them together in an over-the-top reaction to her situation, and the entire cast and crew erupted in laughter. We could hear it in video village in the building next door. We decided to keep the outburst in the final cut.”

Maybe they should ban knitting needles, too.

“Enduring a day on the plane was well worth it to take our stance on an issue we truly believe in,” says Good Behavior’s Pete Marquis, who directed.

“I hope this message affects at least one person. Specifically, the person who’s always sitting in front of me.”