Dutch
airline, KLM that announced it was employing a trained beagle to return
lost luggage to passengers at the airport says the dog was merely a
mascot for its lost-and-found team.
airline, KLM that announced it was employing a trained beagle to return
lost luggage to passengers at the airport says the dog was merely a
mascot for its lost-and-found team.
The
airline issued a press release introducing Sherlock, who purportedly
had been trained to locate the rightful owners of lost items — like
cellphones and stuffed animals — at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, often
before they know they’ve been lost.
airline issued a press release introducing Sherlock, who purportedly
had been trained to locate the rightful owners of lost items — like
cellphones and stuffed animals — at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, often
before they know they’ve been lost.
In an accompanying video, the beagle — outfitted with a backpack — sniffs out passengers inside the terminal.
“When
you see the reactions of the passengers, [it] really is amazing,” Dirk
van Driel, Sherlock’s trainer, says in the video. The airline said it is
able to return an impressive 80 percent of lost items using all
available information like seat numbers, phone numbers, “public social
media details,” and, as the video strongly suggests, Sherlock.
you see the reactions of the passengers, [it] really is amazing,” Dirk
van Driel, Sherlock’s trainer, says in the video. The airline said it is
able to return an impressive 80 percent of lost items using all
available information like seat numbers, phone numbers, “public social
media details,” and, as the video strongly suggests, Sherlock.
Not surprisingly, the adorable, two-minute YouTube clip has already racked up nearly 500,000 views.
But a spokesperson for the airline told a Dutch news website that the beagle was merely figurative.
“The
dog is purely used to symbolise the active way in which the team will
search for owners and unite them with their lost possessions,” KLM
spokesperson Joost Ruempol is quoted as saying in an English translation
of the article.
dog is purely used to symbolise the active way in which the team will
search for owners and unite them with their lost possessions,” KLM
spokesperson Joost Ruempol is quoted as saying in an English translation
of the article.
Sherlock, it turns out, was an advertising agency creation.
“To
illustrate that KLM goes above and beyond for their passengers, we
decided to involve a search dog,” DDB & Tribal, the agency behind
the spot, told Mediabistro.com’s AgencySpy.
illustrate that KLM goes above and beyond for their passengers, we
decided to involve a search dog,” DDB & Tribal, the agency behind
the spot, told Mediabistro.com’s AgencySpy.
