United’s “It’s time to fly” tagline was first unveiled during Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004 – present), but the campaign was reintroduced last month using a very smart strategy: a global venue (appropriate for a commercial airline). United premiered 5 new TV animation commercials during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. One of the animations features sea creatures in orchestration, called “Sea Orchestra.” Never have underwater creatures looked so elegant and amazing.
Christine Babick is a blogger at www.beneaththebrand.com. A marketing strategist and linguist, she specializes in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing.
Besides having beautiful classical and jazz piano versions of United’s lovely theme song, Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” United has created several fantastic animated commercials that express their offerings in a touching way to their audience.
Highly conceptual but at the same time, earthy and relatable even in their fantasy, these animations represent what magic there is in flying (if you can maintain your suspension of disbelief long enough to forget the extra charges for each piece of non-carry-on luggage that airlines like to sport these days).
What’s right about these ads? United used a popular form of creative expression and married it to…
Recently Travelocity won a branding award for the Roaming Gnome campaign. Conducted by the Association of Travel Marketing Executives, these are the only results-driven marketing awards in the travel industry.
The strange, stiff little wizard-like creature became the spokesperson of Travelocity in January 2004. Ever since, he has been globetrotting, experiencing more adventures than I could ever hope to have.
The award means that Travelocity used breakthrough thinking, and that the campaign gained positive results.
Travelocity’s CMO commented that despite many critics disparaging a campaign based on a lawn ornament, the gnome “has become a pop culture celebrity and ambassador for getting out…
