United - Big Metal Bird

United - Big Metal Bird

United Airlines has created a series of humorous informational short YouTube videos, called Big Metal Bird , which explain the complexities of the airline industry to flyers. The mini-series is hosted by Katie Nolan, of Fox Sports 1, and improv performer Rob Anderson, with ‘guest appearances’ by United Airlines executives.

In the first episode, Katie reviews the journey of baggage after it’s dropped of at the check-in counter. The video features United staff who explain various parts of the baggage handling process. Even United’s Director of Baggage Strategy and Performance, Marc Zessin, takes part by allowing himself to be “checked in luggage” to prove his confidence in the system.

The second episode explains the process United goes through to plan routes and schedules. Andy Buchanan, Managing Director of International Network Planning explains the process, and also comes across as friendly and accessible.

It is this light-hearted tone to the series which is very effective at humanising the company to the general public.

In addition to posting videos to YouTube, United has established a dedicated site which features accompanying posts providing more background information on the topics covered. The segments are designed to be short so that travellers can enjoy them ‘on the go’ with their mobile devices.

“This is how our customs like to get their information—easy to consume, easy to understand and easy to share,” Mark Krolick, United’s managing director of Marketing and Product Development said.