Did you get to see the latest Air Malta advert? It runs like this: people are settling down on a plane, and just before take-off, a mobile phone rings. Shock!

Air Malta is no longer Marija il-Maltija but an international Bridget Jones- Kristina Chetcuti

Air hostesses come down the isle dancing the Gangnam Style, passengers join in; the pilot comes out, puts on his aviator sunglasses, and unrolls a poster asking for mobile phones to be switched off.

I chortled when I watched it. Oh fine, its not going to win the best advert award, but it’s funny. And I was utterly relieved that there was none of that zooming in on fingers with manicured blood-red nail polish, that original Made-in-Malta advert stamp.

However, I was taken aback with the prudish reaction online. People tut-tuted and tsk-tsked. They thought it was ‘crass’ and ‘cringey’.

They were shocked by the air hostesses’ mini-skirts (!) and most of all they were aghast that the South Korean chap’s track was used, instead of something promoting Maltese culture.

This is so ridiculous. Air Malta is not an artisan airline. It is not, say, Mdina Glass. It is not the Galletti tal-Furnar.

It is vital that Air Malta sounds and looks global. But judging by people’s online comments, the dancers should have been wearing the għonnella and wiggling their butts to the beat of the Żifna Maltija.

When will we put an end to this? Why do we expect that once we board an Air Malta flight we need to be given a ħobża, a ġbejna, and some bulubeef and then given a penknife to cut it up? Do we really want għana blaring on the sound system?

It’s high time we stopped thinking of Air Malta as the parent we don’t want to see smooching. We have to start thinking of Air Malta as the 20-something singleton who likes to party. Air Malta is no longer Marija il-Maltija but an international Bridget Jones.

And the fact that we are ever so slowly moving away from the red nail polish adverts is enough of an event in itself to celebrate.

Have you noticed lately that on TVM the quality of adverts has improved? It’s a relief that at prime time we’re no longer bombarded by those ghastly Gold Market adverts thrown at you.

You know the ones – where they get that woman with purple nails to match her purple eyeshadow, counting the dosh; then cut to her standing outside the shop signing off with the typical parting: “Mela tinsewx, il-Gold Shop ta’ Birkirkara wara l-knisja l-kbira.”

These days adverts on TVM have to pass a quality test and I cannot applaud it enough.

I can’t bear the uglification of visuals. The mentality of having an advert with a voice-over saying “Sale, Sale, Sale” is not easy to erase. But things are slowly changing. And perhaps it’s the start of subtly training our eyes to be more critical and appreciative of what looks good.

I wish there was the same thing for billboards. Take that Cadbury advert on the Birkirkara Bypass. Why would a guy-in-a-suit-with-a-rictus-grin and an iPad in his hand make me want to buy Cadbury?

Or how about those promoting a certain DJ Dorian. I’ve never met him and I’m sure he’s the nicest man on earth, but someone should tell him this: you do not look cool.

And DJ Dorian, please leave those aviator sunglasses for the Air Malta captain please.

On a very positive note, I love the Christmas adverts of both political parties. The little baby on the PN billboards looks like a gurgling darling, while the Gonzi-dressed-as-Santa is tongue-in-cheek.

And this, of course, reminds me that today I should be talking about Christmas. I don’t need adverts to remind me that I ought to be getting into the Christmas spirit.

Traditionally I switch to festive mode during my daughter’s school Christmas concert. Every time she comes out on stage with her classmates to sing carols, my lower lip starts to quiver. Soon enough, it’s a stream of tears flowing down my cheeks. And then I’m blubbering.

This year though, through the mist in my eyes, I did look around me and I saw other parents – dads mostly – wiping away their tears, pretending they had a sudden itch under their eyes.

And nothing better than this moment captures the spirit of Christmas: it’s about children and yearly traditions and carols and angels.

Dear reader, I wish you a very warm Christmas. And just in case you’re reading this from a cave in Binġemma because the world has been hit by an asteroid, I have only one advice: pray that you’ll be lifted out by Air Malta and its dancing crew.

krischetcuti@gmail.com