American Airlines Announces New Premier Economy Class

Today American Airlines debuted the first in a series of new TV, out-of-home, and online video commercials to complement its We Know Why You Fly brand campaign.

TM advertising, American’s long-standing agency of record, developed and produced the new work and enlisted renowned director, Jim Jenkins, and O Positive Films to support the project.

“As with all of our advertising, we wanted to develop the best story that relates to our customers,” said Roger Frizzell, Vice President – Advertising and Corporate Communications for American Airlines. “This new commercial, a strong addition to our broadcast and online rotation, exemplifies the commitment that American makes to its business customers, giving them the product that they value.”

The new work follows the story of a film producer and the obstacles that she faces while working in different international locations with a talented, yet challenging director. As in real life, American’s global scope and new Business Class offerings are a pivotal part of the story of this resourceful professional who “just makes things happen.”

“‘We Know Why You Fly’ is all about the spirit of empathy with our customers,” said Bill Oakley, Worldwide Creative Director at TM Advertising. “This commercial highlights how we all work for difficult people from time to time. We hope American Airlines can, at times, serve as an escape.”

Shot on location in Buenos Aires, Dallas and Shanghai, the new commercial will air as part of the airline’s fall advertising push that includes national TV, sports and entertainment programming, and an array of online video opportunities.

This new commercial, along with additional work that will debut later in the month, will also be an integral part of American’s out-of-home utilization of video. It is the first of a series that complements the current campaign, which includes “Team Building,” a commercial that features two co-workers desperately trying to change their flights to an earlier departure so they can escape their team-building seminar. That commercial recently won a Cannes Bronze Lion.

The American Airlines advertising team worked with its Diverse Segment Marketing Team and Employee Resource Groups to coordinate this series of creative advertisements to be relevant to a large spectrum of American’s customers.

Source: American Airlines News Room. American provided this photo showing what its new international Premium Economy seats will look like. (Photo: American Airlines)