Great Ads #5 - United
What makes this ad great is, quite obviously, a great illustration. It tells all or most of the story on its own.
This ad for United Airlines, which ran on a full page in a November 2005 issue of Sports Illustrated, stopped me in my tracks with its unique illustration. The style of the art and the color palette are unusual, and the image is humorous. Anyone who has ever flown coach class has felt like the cartoon man in the ad. "Don't let other airlines leave you in a pinch," says the headline.
The unique selling proposition (or USP) featured in this ad is legroom ... and more of it. "With up to 5 inches of extra legroom, it's not surprising that Economy Plus has been voted the best ...."
So, what is the benefit of more legroom?
Comfort. United is selling comfort. Their seating arrangement will make you feel better while you are flying.
My hat is off to the marketing geniuses at United--or their ad agency--for some gorgeous art illustration and a great ad.
Labels: Great ads, marketing agencies; marketing firms; Charleston
posted by Skip Lineberg at 4:00 PM
2 Comments:
When I saw this ad for the first time (which was when I read this blog), the first thing that came across my mind was “Man, how many times have I felt like that?”
As I have been on my share of airplane rides and being of larger stature, I can certainly empathize with the man pictured in the advertisement.
And isn’t that the goal of advertising—to connect to, or relate to its viewing audience?
The ‘legroom’ approach that this advertisement visualizes is clever way to play to the audience’s emotions and to utilize circumstances familiar to them, making it attention grabbing and applicable. No one likes to be uncomfortable—especially on a 9-hour trip to Anchorage, Alaska. But even if you’re not traveling across the country, comfort is an overwhelming expectation of most airline travelers.
Making that emotional connection between an individual and a product or service is probably one of the most motivational and beneficial techniques that an advertiser can make use of—because consumers typically recall and respond more frequently to targeted, relatable, relevant advertising messages.
An advertiser’s ability to make a relatable, emotional connection—that’s marketing genius.
Great find, Skip!
8:49 AM
Carrie -
Thank you for your insightful comment. It added a great deal to the content of this post.
Skip
4:42 PM
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