Millennial, Gen-X Opps: United Airlines launches campaign amid spend increases (Score 55)

Sales lead: This company has been increasing ad spend and the campaign launch signals this trend will continue.

• United Airlines (UA) launched an educational campaign featuring its chief trash officer, Oscar the Grouch. 
• The company is promoting its investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuel, which is an alternative to traditional jet fuel. 
• The push will be supported across digital, social, and OOH. 
• UA's AOR, 72andSunny, handled creative duties. 

Target demographic: Millennials & Gen-Xers

The company will likely:

• Keep ramping up ad spend
• Continue promoting its sustainable practices in its creative work
• Conduct agency reviews

Broadcast insights (TV ad creative spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: UA spent approximately $6.3m on national TV ads YTD, up from $2.1m spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022. 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend skyrocketed from $283.6k in 2021 to $3.8m in 2022. 
• Ad programming: It placed ads during programming such as NBA Basketball, NFL Football, College Football, Survivor, and Vanderpump Rules. 

Digital and social insights (digital ad spend, effectiveness, impressions, and performance)

• YTD spend: UA spent about $13.3m on digital display ads YTD, a 25% increase from $10.6m spent in this channel during the same time period of 2022. 
• YTD data: 2b impressions via Facebook (43%), Instagram (31%), YouTube (11%), desktop display (11%), mobile display (2%), and desktop video (2%). 
• 2021-2022 spend: Full-year spend jumped by 46% from $11.2m in 2021 to $16.4m in 2022. 
• Ad location: It placed 94% of these ads directly onto sites such as facebook.com, instagram.com, youtube.com, yahoo.com, and huffpost.com. It placed 6% of these ads through multiple indirect channels onto sites such as accuweather.com, yahoo.com, quora.com, rollingstone.com, and variety.com. 

Additional channel insights  

• Vivvix: UA also utilizes print, OOH, and local broadcast. 
• Top podcasts sponsored: The Ben Shapiro Show, NPR News Now, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Up First, and The Joe Rogan Experience. 

Agency analysis:

• Opportunity: I believe some of these relationships are past the three-year average agency tenure, so reach out to see if UA plans on making any changes to its roster. 
• Current roster:
  • Ketchum: PR AOR
  • Dentsu: media & social AOR
  • Carat: media AOR
  • 72andSunny: creative AOR
  • Lopez Negrete Communications: multicultural 
  • Merkle: programmatic