United Airlines Calls Out Southwest in Denver Ad Campaign

Businesses rarely call out their competitors by name when it comes to advertising and marketing.

Oh, they will make enough clear references so that the consumer knows who they’re talking about. But, generally speaking, even when doing comparative advertising a business will avoid using a competitor’s name.

Not United Airlines.

And not in a key market like Denver.

The gloves are off as United has embarked on a new advertising campaign in the Denver area on Monday that includes some direct shots at Southwest Airlines.

In a series of ads shared with The Denver Post last week ahead of their widespread release, United highlights its network, capabilities and ties to the Mile High City. It also gets in its digs at Southwest.

“United: Nonstop to Hawaii’s beaches. Southwest: Some stops to Hawaii’s beaches,” reads one ad with a picture of the tail of a United plane in front of DIA’s tented terminal building. In smaller print, the airline includes the Denver-focused tagline “Accept nothing less than Mile High Standards.”

The ad draws a distinction between United’s service out of DIA and Southwest’s network which connects flyers with Hawaii out of cities in California. A similar ad jabs at Southwest connecting flyers to Cozumel, Mexico, out of Houston; United flies direct to Cozumel from Denver.

“We want to challenge some of the assumptions that customers may have perceived about United vs. Southwest,” United senior vice president Janet Lamkin told The Denver Post. “We wanted to make sure that people had the real facts about what we provide and the scale of our operations and the choices we provide.”

Denver has emerged as a key battleground between United and Southwest, which are the Nos. 1 and 2 airlines at Denver International Airport. The market is growing, and both carriers have increased their presence at DIA by signing new deals for more gates – United will have 90 gates at DIA when its expansion plan is complete, and Southwest will have 40.

In a statement, Southwest responded to the United ads by saying: “We’re grateful that Coloradans continue to respond to our all-in value and flexibility for every customer on every flight. Our people and policies demonstrate a Mile High Heart that we feel should be a standard for all.”