Private jets may have become a symbol of over-the-top Hollywood conspicuous consumption over the years, but even if the industry has benefited from the attention garnered from this association, at least one travel provider is trying to shake that image for something a bit more sober. The Wall Street Journal has taken note of a change of tone in Bombardier Flexjet’s advertisements, one that may be a bellwether for both the future of the private jet travel industry and the current economic zeitgeist.

Flexjet’s new campaign breaks with the industry advertising trend, which usually emphasizes the luxury and exclusivity of private jet travel, and instead emphasizes its practicality. In this case, the common private jet trope of an Armani-suited man alighting from a Gulfstream with a trophy blonde at his side is forgone in favor of discrete copy extolling the good business sense of private jet travel. (For example: “The most passionate advocates of private jets aren’t hedonists. They’re accountants.”)

The new advertising campaign is in response to research conducted by Flexjet, which found that the majority of high net worth individuals had grown up in middle class families and continued to hold the values of thrift and modesty characteristic of their upbringings. By casting private jet travel not as a luxury indulgence, but as a value proposition, Flexjet hopes to open up a new segment of the market: individuals who may be able to afford a jet fraction, but whose sense of moderation might otherwise prevent them from buying in.

Flexjet’s new advertising may also anticipate a wariness on the part of high net worth individuals to display their wealth during this period of economic uncertainty. Even if the very rich aren’t feeling the crimp in their pocketbooks, the common perception of private jets as being the toys of billionaire playboys and heiresses might prevent more than a few potential customers from buying in for fear of being perceived as insensitive. The new image of private jets that Flexjets is trying to cultivate might mean less appearances on MTV, but it should help the industry advance into new markets in the years ahead.