United Airlines will continue courting frequent business travelers with the
debut of the fourth and final television spot in its acclaimed global
brand campaign. “A Life” will launch in key United markets during the U.S.
Open golf tournament telecast on NBC beginning on June 17.
Like the previous television spots in the campaign, the new ad is designed
to break through the clutter. The illustrated storytelling style, set to
Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” is designed to appeal to the business
traveler and forge a connection. All the work incorporates the
now-familiar tagline, “It’s time to fly.” The voiceover tagline is read by
Robert Redford.

“A Life” was created by the Minneapolis office of Fallon Worldwide, and
spotlights United’s unique understanding of the important role that travel
plays in the life of a business person—both for work and for pleasure.
Animated by Academy Award(R)-winning artist Michael Dudok De Wit, the new
spot traces the life of a business person, flying to meetings throughout
his career and then flying for leisure trips after retirement.

“All of the ads in our global campaign are trying to say we understand our
role in facilitating the success of our customers, striking a chord with
frequent business travelers, and this latest spot is no exception,” said
Martin White, senior vice president of marketing for United. “For many of
our customers, travel is an essential part of their success—it’s what
they do. When they retire, many realize it’s not just what they do, it’s
what they like to do as well. Our global route network gives our customers
the ability to seamlessly go where they would like to go—on business or
leisure.”

“Illustrating a man’s life and retirement in 60 seconds was not an easy
task,” said Stuart D’Rozario, group creative director and copywriter at
Fallon. “Michael Dudok De Wit accomplished this beautifully and artfully
by making every frame tell a story.”

Three television spots in United’s brand campaign are currently airing.
The latest commercial joins “Rose,” animated by Academy Award(R) winner
Aleksandr Petrov; “Interview,” illustrated by Academy Award(R)-nominated
animators Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis; and “Lightbulb,” animated by
two-time Academy Award(R) nominee Joanna Quinn.

“A Life” will make its debut in key United markets Chicago, Denver, Los
Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. during NBC’s telecast of the
U.S. Open golf tournament on June 17. This supports United’s business
strategy of focusing its marketing efforts on the airline’s hub cities.
Nationally, the commercials are airing on cable programs that appeal to
business travelers, including CNN Headline News, “Squawk Box” on CNBC, and
“Biography” on A&E.

Print

Ten print advertisements, some of which feature work originally created
for The New Yorker by such noted illustrators as Carter Goodrich, Rea
Irvin and Charles Martin, have also debuted this year. The first ad in the
campaign was illustrated by Carter Goodrich and first appeared in The Wall
Street Journal on February 18. Ads are also appearing throughout the year
in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times
Magazine, Time, Newsweek, Business Week, Fortune and Fast Company.

Out-of-Home

Billboards that feature the same distinctive illustrative style as the
rest of the campaign are currently running in Chicago and Los Angeles.

The campaign’s creative team includes: David Lubars, executive creative
director; Bruce Bildsten, creative director; Stuart D’Rozario, group
creative director/writer; Bob Barrie, art director; Alex Leikikh, group
account director; and Kate Talbott, senior producer. Media planning
responsibilities are handled by Fallon Worldwide.
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