The "Before They Move Us, We Move Them/Proud To Fly Team USA" ads, premiering tonight during the Olympic opening ceremony on NBC and running throughout the games, are some of the first under UA's new ad agency mcgarrybowen (as opposed to temporary/sCO agency Publicis Kaplan Thaler). Much like DL's decision to use Donald Sutherland, Matt Damon is the new voice of the UA Olympic ads. And if you were fearing the end of Rhapsody in Blue, fret not: both Olympic commercials have a new orchestration of the Gershwin classic.
No videos yet, but I will post them when they come online.
Sort of. sCO and later UA used Kaplan Thaler Group New York, a Publicis Groupe subsidiary best known for creating the Aflac duck. Around the same time that UA stopped using Kaplan Thaler, Publicis Groupe merged Kaplan Thaler with Publicis New York into one NYC ad shop.
VC10er From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 2416 posts, RR: 9 Reply 3, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 7938 times:
Well I for one am dying to see it! UA went very dark from advertising for a long time. Also, airline advertising is amongst the most difficult to crack. Great ads can be made but it's difficult to make ads tie to sales.
I love the new BA ads with the 777 going through the streets of London but will it create preference? Will it convert to ticket sales? The old BA ads "the worlds favorite airline" did in fact create consumer preference - that meaning someone was happy to spend £50 more for coach and much more for F and B.
United needs to sway preference but if the ads lead a consumer to a bad product then you'll never get them back. I hope United really starts to improve the United experience, perhaps with "book-it" they will!
The world is missing love, let's use our flights to spread it!
FWAERJ From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 3165 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 7780 times:
Just saw the new UA commercial.
Looks like it was filmed at ONT, the airport-scene commercial capital of the US. It was very good... very moving, excellent filming, and a very good cut of Rhapsody (fittingly, conducted by the London Symphony Orchestra). If this what UA's new "normal" post-Games ad campaign is going to be like, I think we're in for a campaign that could rival Delta's Wieden + Kennedy "Keep Climbing" ads.
I also noticed that United's YouTube channel pulled the "Who's Merging" Kaplan Thaler-produced ad (the one with the 777 being repainted into the globe).
Quoting VC10er (Reply 3): I hope United really starts to improve the United experience, perhaps with "book-it" they will!
Is this project the planned upgrade to the UA website?
zippyjet From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 4720 posts, RR: 13 Reply 5, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 7586 times:
Sounds cool. But lets us hope UA never revive's those creepy sketch people and planes from the early 90's when they first rolled out their Rhapsody In Blue commercials!
AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Reply 6, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 7531 times:
The ad looked great! Loved it! There is one more ad, I believe, during the opening ceremonies.
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
AVENSAB727 From United States of America, joined Jun 2012, 521 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 7497 times:
I think UA is starting to improve its customer service.
Coairman From United States of America, joined Dec 2010, 89 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 7440 times:
Sorry for being redundant from the above remarks but I needed to add my 2 cents............................................ Matt Damon is the official voice going forward! Pretty hip! Bye, bye Gene Hackman and Robert Redford. They served their time. Also, Rhapsody In Blue produced by the London Symphony Orchestra is the music to be used going forward. Looks like UAL prior merger TV marketing is surviving.. I am glad as I have always thought COs TV commercials looked cheap and cheesey. Bravo UAL!
Now lets get more subsidiary United spare aircraft in service as soon as possible and improve the ontime arrival rate, completion factor and provide better customer service and welcome back the "Friendly Skies".
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FROM UAL:
Watch our new Olympic-themed commercials
Posted July 27, 2012
We know you’ll be glued to your TV screen for the next 17 days anyway. But now you have another reason. During Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games we’re debuting two new TV commercials celebrating our pride as the official airline of Team USA.
One of the most notable features of these commercials is a new arrangement of our signature music, “Rhapsody in Blue.” “We recorded it earlier this year with the London Symphony Orchestra,” said Marketing Brand Communications Director Valerie Waller. “We will continue to use this new arrangement of the iconic song as a key element of our brand.”
The commercials also reveal another surprise: They are narrated by Academy Award-winning actor and screenwriter Matt Damon, who will be the voice of United going forward. “After listening to hundreds of voices, we agreed that his best represents our brand – sophisticated, modern and global,” said Marketing SVP Mark Bergsrud.
Watch Flying Together next week for more insider information on what went into the making of our commercials.
Everyone can see the commercials on NBC’s national Olympics coverage, and co-workers in most of our hub cities will have some additional chances to see them on NBC’s local coverage.
If you’re like us and you want to watch the commercials over and over, visit Flying Together, where we will post both commercials late Friday night.
UALFAson From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 582 posts, RR: 4 Reply 9, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 7335 times:
I'm surprised the Polo Ralph Lauren logo on the athletes' uniforms was so visible and got so much free air time, but otherwise I thought the commercials were pretty good. A nice inspiring tug at the heartstrings like so many of the other Olympic-related ads, but not too over-the-top sappy. And nice to hear "Rhapsody in Blue" aka the United Airlines Song make a return!
"We hope you've enjoyed flying with us as much as we've enjoyed taking you for a ride."
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18803 posts, RR: 64 Reply 10, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 7250 times:
I just saw one of these commercials, and was less than impressed, gotta say. Not enough Rhapsody, barely recognized Damon's voice until halfway through it, and no airplanes! Bah.
0NEWAIR0 From United States of America, joined May 2007, 835 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 6527 times:
Quoting UALFAson (Reply 9): I'm surprised the Polo Ralph Lauren logo on the athletes' uniforms was so visible and got so much free air time
RL didn't exactly make the logo very small. It would be very weird to see it blanked out in the commercials. If you want to film the US Olympic athletes you're going to have to film the massive polo player logo too.
RL may have an agreement that the logo must be shown if the uniform is worn for any advertisements, commercials or other promotional materials.
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
CALPSAFltSkeds From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 2199 posts, RR: 8 Reply 13, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 5994 times:
A bit surprised this commercial doesn't show more "United". Small logo on a bag at the beginning, you see "ED' plus the globe when crew is walking, then the front of a plane and a plane flying overhead without a view of the paint job, tail, etc. No logos on stairs, ramp uniforms.
At least a sideshot of a 772 takeoff would should the corporate ID better.
VC10er From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 2416 posts, RR: 9 Reply 17, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 5701 times:
Thank goodness "Rapsody" lives. It IS as much a part of United as the United name. Sonic branding is more powerful than visual. And this rendition gave me a chill! Lets hope the great United makes a huge comeback as the merger nightmares disappear into the past.
Also McGary Bowens' sweet spot is to pull at the heart strings, and they haven't let down their short but storied reputation!
Bravo
The world is missing love, let's use our flights to spread it!
SonomaFlyer From United States of America, joined Apr 2010, 1171 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (9 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 5395 times:
I think they are in a way using the Olympics as a transition. Classic United theme music is coming back (YEA) and I'd guess we'll see more of the "new United" branding on later commercials during the Olympics.
I'm glad to see Rhapsody come back and I'm hopeful they'll use it at times going forward. Personally, I'd LOVE to see another watercolor themed commercial. There are so many great elements which could be used with the Olympics as a back drop.
jcwr56 From United States of America, joined Jul 2012, 218 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (9 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 5226 times:
If United is trying to compare themselves to Olympic Athlete's based on performance; they've failed at it. How about United doing something to honor the fallen heros they transport home or the ones they move into harms way. Hell, create something that says, we're "United" no matter what part of the world we fly.
How much did United pay this agency to film and cut people doing their jobs (probably actors), adding in the SAME song and overlaying a few words.....
If this is United trying to create a new face for themselves, god help 'em.
boeing773ER From United States of America, joined Dec 2011, 320 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (9 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 5195 times:
Ah, I am currently at MYR and I just saw two new ad's right in front of UA's ticket counter in regards to the Olympics, so I spouse they are the "official US carrier" for this olympics?
us330 From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 3741 posts, RR: 15 Reply 21, posted (9 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 4888 times:
Quoting SonomaFlyer (Reply 18): I'm glad to see Rhapsody come back and I'm hopeful they'll use it at times going forward.
I realize that there is an effort by many airlines to rebrand--and necessarily distinguish their new forms from the older versions, but that shouldn't mean eliminating parts of an airline's history that are borderline iconic. The Delta widget, American's baremetal/silver, and United's "Rhapsody in Blue" all fall into that category. Good to see that they brought it back.
CODC10 From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 2166 posts, RR: 8 Reply 22, posted (9 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 4820 times:
The commercials are more about connecting United to the Games and the athletes, rather than apologizing for merger-related service failures, relaunching a comprehensive brand image or promoting other aspects of the operation. To that end, they were appropriate. I liked the 30-second spot, "Getting Ready", a bit more than the longer one, "Tunnel".
I think the ads were tasteful, sophisticated, and mostly hit the mark without being too sappy or sentimental. Certainly not the best of the commercials from last night, but far from the worst, and most importantly, a marked improvement over the former CO-style marketing in both style and content.
FWAERJ From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 3165 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (9 months 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 4555 times:
Quoting SonomaFlyer (Reply 18): I'm glad to see Rhapsody come back and I'm hopeful they'll use it at times going forward.
Per the employee letter, the new London Symphony Orchestra composition of Rhapsody will be the music for future UA commercials moving forward.
Interestingly enough, mcgarrybowen considered ditching Rhapsody from the ads early on in development. Glad to see that it never happened... Rhapsody in Blue is UA, moreso than even the tulip was (even though the tulip was around longer). There was too much brand equity at stake if they changed music.
Quoting boeing773ER (Reply 20): Ah, I am currently at MYR and I just saw two new ad's right in front of UA's ticket counter in regards to the Olympics, so I spouse they are the "official US carrier" for this olympics?
UA is the official carrier of the US Olympic Team, and has flown US athletes to the Olympics since the 1980 Winter Games. Even in 1996 and 2002, when the Games were held in DL hubs (ATL, SLC) and DL was the "official airline" of the ATL/SLC Games, UA transported the athletes.
super80 From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 133 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (9 months 3 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 4386 times:
I like the new UA ad "Getting Ready"... maybe it is because I love the Delta's ad: Human Factor.
The Getting Ready ad is so much like the Delta Human Factor ad. If that ad is in black and white and use one of those slower background music, I would think it is a Delta ad.
25 DeltaL1011man: United did a "We Are United" add shortly after 9/11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VywUQz-DtHs American Also did a 9/11 add. Proud to bear the name
27 VC10er: I thought the post 9/11 United ads were wonderful. So honest and human. IMHO.
28 United1: Just to add to what was already posted UA flew about 1100 people connected to the 2012 games from all over the US. UA has a dedicated Olympic travel
29 VC10er: On my way to Singapore on United, weeks before Beijing Olympics, I was in First and sitting next to me in row 2 was Michael Phelps. We chatted a coupl
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