unified airline wants you to remember that its center at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) closer than you think.
That’s why the airline embarked on a flash advertising campaign around New York City, continuing one of the most popular and engaging campaigns it has run in recent years.
Specifically, the airline’s “time to fly United out of Newark” campaign is starting to reappear in taxicabs and at digital kiosks around the city. Nearly 3,000 screens on top of yellow cabs and at bus stops will show a live GPS-based comparison of travel time from current location to both locations John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and EWR. These estimates are digitally updated in real time and change based on current traffic.
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That said, United are clearly confident that EWR will consistently beat JFK as they invest in this resurgent advertising campaign. I expect the ad to run in downtown Manhattan, around Midtown, and maybe even the Upper West Side — areas that typically drive faster to EWR than JFK. (Of course, the ads skip consider public transport options.)
As United explains, “JFK has long been billed as ‘New York’s Airport.’ However, Newark has many claims to be better for New York visitors; most appealing is its proximity.”
If you’re a longtime New Yorker, you may remember that United first debuted This exact advertising campaign in 2017. It was quite successful, as United saw an increase of about 720,000 Newark passengers during the campaign, compared with the same period the previous year. Additionally, United’s “brand favorite score” increased from 39% to 55% while the ad ran, according to data from Edelman Intelligence.
The airline even won the 2018 Cannes Lions advertising award for the ad campaign.
As such, it may not be surprising to see these ads resurface in 2023. For now, the airline is planning to run it for a limited time through May 21, although it’s possible the Activation will be extended depending on the success of the campaign.
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Traditionally, when people think about flying to or from New York Citymany people first review LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and JFK before remembering that EWR is another good choice.
United operates a hub in Newark, and it calls LaGuardia — where it flies to Chicago, Denver, Houston and Washington, DC — an important hub. The airline is no longer present at JFK after it stopped flying there late last year.
At the end of October, the airline lost positions that allowed it to operate from JFK – the main cause of its most recent service suspension. Slots are essentially permission issued by the Federal Aviation Administration to allow an airline to land or depart at a certain time at capacity-restricted airports, including JFK .
United served JFK for many years, but pulled out of the airport in 2015 under the direction of former CEO Jeff Smisek. The pullout, called a “strategic mistake” by current CEO Scott Kirby, cost the airline important (and lucrative) contracts with some of its most valuable customers.
United used a pandemic-related demand recession strategy to muscles return JFK in March 2021. However, that pandemic-era beta ended last fall when it needed to return the temporary locations it was using.
