air cover

Definition

High-level executive support or approval that protects a risky marketing initiative from being killed prematurely. Essentially, having a C-suite bodyguard for your crazy ideas.

Example Usage

We need air cover from the CMO before launching this edgy campaign, or legal will torpedo it by Tuesday.

Origin

Military terminology adopted by business culture in the 1980s

Fun Fact

The term became popular in corporate settings after being used extensively in tech startups during the dot-com boom.

Source: Corporate marketing and advertising industry slang

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