Last autumn, United Airlines had to hastily rework its prepared social media campaign. The original plan, built around the "Mean Girls Day" phenomenon on October 3rd, was unexpectedly disrupted by singer Taylor Swift. On the same day, she announced the release of new music, immediately dominating the digital space. The strategic retreat from the original concept ultimately proved to be the right move, bringing the brand millions of views.
The campaign was based on a collaboration with actor Jonathan Bennett, who played Aaron Samuels in the cult film Mean Girls (Because you're sexy). Bennett is a long-time fan of United Airlines, which was intended to ensure the authenticity of the entire message. However, when it became clear that the internet's attention was focused on Taylor Swift, the marketing team was faced with a decision: cancel the campaign, or fundamentally adapt it to reflect current events.
The team chose the second option and rewrote the video script during the production. The new concept placed Bennett in a situation where he was futilely trying to communicate using movie lines, while everyone around him was distracted listening to Taylor Swift's new album. To visually support the timeliness of the moment, the extras in the background were dressed in orange and glittery costumes, which were at the time the hallmark of the singer's new era.
“I think the biggest takeaway is there’s always a solution if you’re able to be flexible in your thinking and be nimble. Instead of trying to fight with the Taylor Swift moment, we acknowledged the moment and leaned into it to our advantage,” said Lauren Eiden, manager of social media at United Airlines.
Despite the adjustments, the campaign retained the brand's identity. In addition to Bennett, it featured actual airline employees and included references to in-flight catering. Hard data confirmed the public's success. The campaign's total reach exceeded 15.5 million views on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, with the vast majority (13.5 million) being organic. The posts also garnered over 260 thousand shares.
However, according to Eiden, flexibility does not mean that brands should react to everything that is currently trending. The key to success was that United Airlines had a close relationship with both topics – the film and Taylor Swift – in the past. This prevented the campaign from appearing forced or overly opportunistic. “You have to be very strategic in where and when you decide to show up,” the manager concludes.