United Airlines has debuted an impressive new ad campaign that stays close to the carrier’s roots.
A commercial entitled “World Orchestra” juxtaposes musical instruments with unlikely geographic locations, stringing together an impressive rendering of Rhapsody in Blue. For example, an Indian man plays his sitar in front of a New England lighthouse and a Hawaiian couple plays ukuleles in Portugal.
You can watch an extended version of the commercial here.
The commercial ends with United’s latest catchphrase, “Connecting people. Uniting the world.” That’s a bit weak after such a strong commercial, but I get the point: United’s international route network continues to expand and the carrier does in fact connect people and unite the world.
Every great United commercial over the years has one thing that binds it: Rhapsody in Blue, by George Gerswhin.
Chicago Business Journal reports that the commercial will air primary in the San Francisco market, but also appear in other United hub cities. There are three versions: a 15-second, 30-second, and 45-second cut.
United also is planning to roll out over the next several weeks a social media campaign tied to the new TV commercial. Four video vignettes will showcase four different cities and four different musicians reimagining “Rhapsody” in a fashion inspired by the particular city where each musical artist is based.
CONCLUSION
I love this ad so much and think it sends a far more powerful message than an ad focusing on United’s Polaris lounges and business class seating. This reaches more people and reminds us all of just how fortunate we are to live in an era in which we can get almost anywhere in the world on a commercial airline. United has done so well to associate itself with Rhapsody in Blue that I suspect most people will know it is a United commercial long before seeing the logo at the very end.
What do you think of the new United commercial?
I think beating people to a bloody pulp on video is a much more powerful message that will be hard for United to overcome.
Even if this ad is successful and people buy a ticket to fly on United, once they experience true United “hospitality”, they are unlikely to return.
The ‘ukulele is actually Portuguese in origin (or at least adapted from instruments brought to Hawai’i by Portuguese immigrants), so the choice of Lisbon for it is interesting. It made me think about whether there were common threads in the other instrument/place pairings.
@ Matthew — I want my cartoons and tulips back.
Who…is…the…uke…player…on…the…left?!?!
Time to bring back the tulip. The current Continental/United globe doesn’t project any image.
If you remember, there was a commercial entitled “Orchestra” that accompanied the rising blue/ITPE launch, I can’t watch the one above as its blocked in Zanzibar for some reason but from your description I like the “sound” of it.
Matt, did you check the Chicago Business Journal link? Maybe the embedded video in that story will reviewable in Zanzibar. Enjoy! Park Hyatt?
I didn’t yet, will when I hit the living room though. Not staying here, I couldn’t pass up 35k Marriott points for 5 nights at the little Protea down the island. It’s lovely but I needed a break from the seclusion.
Their kicking families off planes for having crying infants disables any fancy ad agency campaign.
It is a great add.
Thanks Matthew for sharing.
It is easy to criticize UA and the airlines in general, but sometimes we forget what a complex and very difficult job they have and how well the pull it off. True issues occur and it we can’t excuse them. But we live in a fantastic time where we can go practically anywhere in the world efficiently and safely.
I think Matthew is sounding more and more like a UA shill. Do they pay you for each positive post now, Matthew?
No, but Henry LAX gets paid by UA to come on here and shill for UA / bash DL & AA
@GS guy: Nope, I think my posts are balanced, on the whole.
I’m sure you meant to type George ‘Gershwin’ rather than ‘Gerswhin’.
Correct. Thank you.
It seems odd that they’d air the commercial primarily in United fortress/hub cities where they already have a stronghold and little need to worry about business. Why not air them in secondary cities or the hub cities of their competitors?
I think it’s interesting that United is making commercials that are supposed to connect the world but they are not even connected to their employees. CLUELESS
What school are the children from at end of commerical?
Best United Commercial ever
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cW3UmYbZ9d4
I am Chicago resident and now I am a dedicated American Airlines customer.