fly18725

I like the campaign (and know I will be attacked for my opinion). This helps re-build the brand and allows United to promote areas where it adds value for frequent fliers (network, mainline hard product, employees) under a common tag line. As noted in the article, this is aspirational and there is real risk under delivers (as opposed to Delta, which literally has to not climb to fail at delivering on its tag line).

It is disappointing (but not unexpected) that so many are quick to disparage new branding - the very thing they've been demanding for so long.

Pi7473000

I felt the same way! The seats are some of the most uncomfortable coach seats in the industry. Those seats are not friendly! Hopefully they will improve their services to match what this ad campaign represents!

UA-NYC

My thoughts exactly.

Hopefully we'll see actual operational & soft product improvements a la DL - otherwise this is just a batch of nicely done, hot air pieces.

bruceba

I liked Continental's ad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGSaE2QOd00

Sulley

How are seats "friendly?"

FLYDCA

Branding is hardly the issue here. It is the service delivery aspect and that branding simply does not match and there are no visible plans to make the service delivery match the branding.

fly18725

It all depends on your definition of "friendly."

channa

Even if they smile when they serve you your Jeff McMuffin?

jchiguy1

While I'm skeptical that Jeff & friends can actually deliver, I'm thrilled that a little piece of my United is back.

entropy

Its a reheated slogan, it goes along with the poor reheated food onboard...

I'd rather they fixed their awful changes and THEN brought the brand back.

BookerNYC

^ When I first saw the NYT story and then UA Insider's comment here, I thought: wouldn't it be nice if UA rolled out this campaign as part of a broad package of service improvements? At this point even "small" changes would get me excited.

Yes, wishful thinking, but a guy can dream..

bseller

You've been around here long enough to appreciate the idea (held by more than a few HVF's) that absent the destruction of the brand by a management team who "knew it all" there'd be no need to "rebuild" it.

pmCO had different hubs, different attitudes towards service, and different competitive metrics. That they believed pmUA was managed "all-wrongly" is self evident. Sadly, only time will allow us to see whether they can learn from their mistakes.

Bringing back the slogan is good news from that perspective.
Dave

u2vox

I flew the Friendly Skies. The Friendly Skies was a friend of mine. COdbaUA, you're no Friendly Skies.

Madone59

Maybe "Friendly" is the new "Winner" - everyone is, even if they don't try.

qukslvr619

Knowing the way things have been going I'm actually surprised they didn't just use "work hard, fly right". However in my mind this seems to be a copy of DL's premerger branding FLY_____ i.e. FLY smart, FLY connected, etc. whereas UA is now _______friendly.

I liked pmUA branding and I think that from a historical marketing perspective this is sure to elicit plenty of warm fuzzy feelings...HOWEVER the traveling public (not the FT crowd) don't see flying as friendly. They see it as a hassle, they see being charged for every aspect of the journey, they struggle with the FA's and the GA's when they are told they need to check a bag because it won't fit, they endure the TSA security experience. So there is that demographic....then there is the frequent flier and FT group. We see the cutbacks in the UA Club or inflight, we cringe everytime the welcome message is shown on the screen, we sit on hold for hours on end while someone may or may not be able to fix the mess SHARES made, we sit on the plane wondering if we are going to miss our connection because the inbound flight is delayed for some non weather/ATC delay.

If UA can deliver on this message, more power to them and it could be an effective campaign. If they just take a tagline, while not doing anything to substantially improve the flying experience from a soft/hard product.....well this might as well be the "UNITED RISING" campaign and we all know how that ended.