Who Is The Actress In The Emirates Airline Commercial?
Shout out to the marketing agent who realized "Cruz" sounds like "Cruise" and based a whole advertising campaign around it. The airline Emirates has run various ads since the summer of 2023, starring a gorgeous actress showing off all the luxuries that come with traveling on their planes. From taking a shower in the sky to indulging in live television, Emirates has it all. But who is the girl in the commercial?
It's none other than Academy Award winner Penelope Cruz. The ads have since launched globally, and in May, Cruz sounded optimistic about partnering with this brand. The Emirates website quotes her as saying, "I'm thrilled to partner with Emirates after years of traveling with them on some of the most special trips in my life." The feeling was mutual, as Senior Vice President of Brand and Advertising Richard Billington stated, "We take care of every detail in the Emirates experience and wanted a brand ambassador who reflects the Emirates brand — it needed to be someone classy, stylish, and having modern global appeal. Penelope was the perfect fit."
And a partnership with Emirates is appropriate for Cruz at this time. With her busy schedule, she'll undoubtedly be jet-setting all over the world in the near future.
Emirates is just one of many brands Penelope Cruz has partnered with over the years
Penelope Cruz knows how to stay busy. In addition to working with Emirates, she still acts regularly. She's been nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for best actress in a supporting role for her performance in 2008's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." She was nominated recently for best actress in a leading role for 2021's "Parallel Mothers." Cruz has another project coming out that could be an awards contender with Michael Mann's "Ferrari," where she plays Laura Ferrari, wife to racing driver and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver).
As far as brand partnerships, Cruz is no stranger to those either. Some of her previous deals have been with L'Oreal and Chanel. With Emirates, she takes over as brand ambassador from another stylish actress — Jennifer Aniston. While some of Aniston's best onscreen performances come from the likes of "Friends" and "Office Space," viewers may remember her Emirates commercials above all else. They had a decidedly different tone than Cruz's ads, being more comedic. In one such commercial found on YouTube, Aniston has a nightmare that she's on a plane that doesn't offer a (gasp) private shower. Of course, she wakes up in the luxuriousness of Emirates, with all right in the world.
Cruz's Emirates ads focus more on style and aspiration. They're quick, 15-second commercials succinctly highlighting everything one gets on an Emirates plane, and when it comes to exemplifying style, Cruz makes for an ideal spokesperson.