People get a little freaked out by the number 13. Thus, Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines is scrambling to change the logo design on the tail and sides of its Airbus jets — a design that, up until recently, was comprised of 13 balls that formed the letter “b.”
The change came in response to superstitious American and Italian customers who had complained about the logo. According to Brussels Airlines spokesman Geert Sciot, “They said they were not pleased with an aircraft with a logo with 13 balls because they think it brings them bad luck.”
It may seem surprising, but it shouldn’t be. You may have noticed that many buildings don’t have a 13th floor, and that you can’t find row 13 on some airplanes. Says Bruce Hood of Bristol University: “There are many examples in business where people make decisions based on intuitive reasoning which are in fact woefully incorrect, in fact very irrational.”
But for Brussels Airlines, the irrational choice turned out to be best for their business.