United Airlines is very pleased with the reposnse to the companies first Super Bowl ad in over a decade.United felt that “Dragon,” which debuted during Sunday’s Super Bowl XL game in
Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., left an
indelible impression on the hearts and minds of business travelers across the
country.
  Vividly portrayed through a dream sequence using stop motion animation and
puppetry, “Dragon” thoughtfully illustrates a young boy’s interpretation of
his father’s life at work.  Alluding to the obstacles business travelers face
and United’s commitment to helping in the pursuit of personal and work-life
success, “Dragon” transforms the veracity of corporate life into a phantasmal
world of adventure and triumph.
  “The quality and uniqueness of the creative used to breathe life into this
piece helps United share the customers’ story in a thoughtful and
differentiated way,” says Dennis Cary, United’s senior vice president -
Marketing.  “Through relevant advertising, we strive to strengthen our
connection with our valued customers and demonstrate United’s commitment to
building lasting relationships with them.”
  Each figure and element of the set was hand-painted and individually
assembled—including the installation of small hinges for movement before
being brought to life through the complex, seven-month filming process.
Puppets were “rigged” to the set and the camera shot each of the 1,440
individual frames to create movement.  Following filming, the rigs were
digitally removed from the animation.  “Dragon” was directed by Jamie Caliri
of the production company Duck Studios.
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