"That graphic designer is getting fired": Netizens react hilariously to the new Pakistan Airlines "We are coming" ad directed towards Paris

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) dropped an ad that’s got everyone rethinking their stop-and-think-before-you-post rule. Someone in their marketing team looked at this ad and thought that this was going to make waves. And, well, they did. Just not the kind they expected.

In the poster, a plane is flying straight toward the Eiffel Tower. "Paris, we’re coming today!" the tagline reads. But instead of excitement, social media dragged, roasted, and made sure the entire world saw the graphic designer’s biggest oops.

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As one user on X said, “That graphic designer is getting fired for sure 😂.”

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A user (@ADogCalledSigma/X) silently replied with only a picture that speaks volumes.

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Meanwhile, a user (@Its_Me_Sanjeev/X) used Squid Games context to comment.

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Another one stated: “The graphic designer thought he cooked with this one…”

A user (@TheGlobal_Index/X) posted a picture, accompanied by a caption that read: "Americans watching this 💀"

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A comment read: “Definitely not the kind of attention they were aiming for.”

A user (@userrrHB/X) replied with a Steve Harvey GIF.

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Posting Joe Biden's amazed look, a user (@applications_tv/X) wrote: "Citizens in France be like."

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“Can they say that 👀”, a user asked.

PIA ad campaign featuring the Eiffel Tower

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It’s like a case study in why you should hire someone who knows a little bit about, you know, world history and PIA just learned it the hard way. Someone thought they were dropping a banger of an ad, but instead, they accidentally set off a PR disaster.

The airline shared a post to celebrate its resumed flights from Islamabad to Paris, which was supposed to be a "welcome back" moment. Instead of excitement over flying to Paris, people were speculating if they knew what they were doing before hitting "upload."

The ad, which went live on January 10, 2025, featured a plane heading straight toward the Eiffel Tower. Except for the fact that the plane looked like it was planning on having a very close encounter with the Eiffel Tower.

And, uh, let’s just say that when you mix planes and iconic landmarks, the internet is not here for it.

Pakistani PR expert and former political adviser Omar R. Quraishi didn’t hold back, calling the ad “completely tone deaf” and saying it left him “truly speechless.”

He wrote on social media platform X:

“Did the idiot who designed this graphic not see a PIA plane heading for the Eiffel Tower? One of Europe's iconic landmarks. Do they not know about the 9/11 tragedy – which used planes to attack buildings? Did they not think that this would be perceived in similar fashion?”

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There’s a historical context

Back in 1979, they had another ad that featured a plane casting a shadow over New York’s Twin Towers. The internet’s attention span might be short, but history tends to find a way of looping back around.

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PIA resuming flights

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Despite the social media storm caused by the ad, there’s actually some good news for PIA. The resumption of flights is a big deal for the airline, marking a crucial step in its efforts to rebuild after taking a massive financial hit.

With losses hovering around $150 million a year during its four-year European hiatus, this restart is a chance for PIA to try and recover some of that lost ground.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif are calling this a win for economic recovery and a boost for international connectivity.

Looks like the return to Europe could be a game-changer, as long as they can keep the plane graphics a bit more… grounded.