United Airlines debuts biggest brand campaign in nearly a decade as travel rebounds

In recent years, United Airlines has been working to differentiate itself from the competition as a brand of purpose. It was one of the first airlines to require employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 last year, months before a federal mandate. United also made history last year for using 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Now, ahead of a summer that promises to be the busiest travel season in two years, the Chicago-based company is telling the story of its efforts in its biggest brand campaign since 2013.

“There is a long history of United being a trailblazing leader, but there is also an opportunity to better tell that story and tell that story in a bolder way,” said Maggie Schmerin, managing director and head of global advertising and social media at United.

The “Good Leads the Way” campaign, the result of nearly a year of planning and research and the first major work from United’s new global creative agency of record 72andSunny, debuts today with an anthem spot.

The 60-second video begins with a black-and-white photo of an airplane from a century ago with a voiceover that appears to be telling a historical tale, before switching gears and zooming to the present day to highlight the recent initiatives United has undertaken. “This is the story of an airline—one that’s a force for good, and it’s got everything—romance, suspense, setbacks, seatbacks!” a female voice says. The video shows both employees and passengers and features all of the ways that the brand has striven for “making the world a happier, friendlier, safer, greener, more inclusive, more fascinating place.”

The campaign will begin in the U.S. today and roll out to overseas markets later this year. It will appear on national TV and streaming services, and on social media, digital and out-of-home channels. United said it created 150 different pieces of content. Schmerin declined to provide specifics on the campaign’s budget, but noted “it is more” than the company has spent on advertising in recent years. She also noted that United is trying to be more strategic with its TV buys in order to get the most out of its media spending. For example, the brand’s ad will air nationally during the penultimate episode of NBC’s “This Is Us,” but only air on a regional basis during the series finale. This strategy allows the brand to be seen by the same group of “This Is Us” fans, but not pay finale prices. United paid to appear in seven of its hub cities including New York, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco for the final episode.

Dentsu’s Carat handled media duties.

In addition, United plans to run some contextual advertising focused on sustainability as part of the campaign, Schmerin said. For example, the company will highlight its sustainability efforts by posting signs on hundreds of trash cans in Huntington Beach, California, noting that the garbage within can be turned into jet fuel.

As business and leisure travel rebound from pandemic declines, airlines are in a race to capture a greater share of consumers’ spending. United is already well-positioned from a market share perspective, globally, according to a report last year from market research firm IBISWorld, but it has an opportunity for growth domestically, which could be a reason why the new campaign is initially focused on the U.S. market.

Worldwide, United commands a 22.4% market share, IBISWorld found—the second-largest player, American Airlines, has 18.9%. Delta has a 16.9% market share globally. Yet in the U.S., United only has a 12.9% share of the market—far less than Delta’s 17.4% and American’s 17.3%.

In the first quarter, United generated total operating revenue of $7.6 billion, more than double that of the year-earlier period but still below its 2019 first-quarter revenue of $9.6 billion. The company expects its highest quarterly revenue ever in the current second quarter.

“The demand environment is the strongest it’s been in my 30 years in the industry—and United and its customers will benefit more than any other airline,” CEO Scotty Kirby said in a statement as part of the earnings announcement. “We’re now seeing clear evidence that the second quarter will be an historic inflection point for our business."

Still, inflation is putting pressure on airline prices, which could deter some cost-conscious travelers. A recent report in Yahoo Finance found that airline fares were up 18.6% in April.