Not All Heroes Wear Capes: Team USA Olympic and Paralympic Athletes and United Airlines' Employees Star in New Campaign

CHICAGO, Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Team USA's participation in the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2018 in PyeongChang, South Korea, United Airlines is shining a spotlight on the "super," 38-year relationship between the airline and the United States Olympic Committee. Titled "Superheroes," a new advertising campaign demonstrates the unique powers necessary to get to the Games – whether that's the exceptional athletic skills of Team USA athletes or the hard work of United employees responsible for flying Team USA and customers to the moments that matter most. This campaign will appear on television, online, in print and outdoor, in airports and on board United aircraft throughout the Games and can be viewed at united.com/teamunited.

"Superheroes" celebrates the six U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes sponsored by United and their extraordinary moves on the slopes and ice, as well as six United employees selected to represent the 90,000 United team members who go above and beyond to get customers to their destinations safely, comfortably and on time.

"The tie between superheroes and Team USA athletes is clear – they are regular people who use their exceptional talents to accomplish the incredible," said Mark Krolick, vice president, marketing at United Airlines. "For close to four decades, our employees have called upon their unique skills – transporting hundreds of thousands of customers every day, while working in rapidly changing weather conditions and providing exceptional service – to give the 'power of flight' to Team USA athletes, getting them to competitions around the globe."

The superheroes featured in the campaign include:

Team USA Athletes

• Air Raider – 2014 Olympic silver medalist freeskier Gus Kenworthy of Telluride, Colorado. His power of flight is only matched by his perpetual chase of the origins of winter and how to harness its energy.
• Arctic Angel  – Snowboarder Jamie Anderson from South Lake Tahoe, California – 2014 Olympic gold medalist and protector of the mountains' most precious resource, fresh powder.
• Ice Lightning – Quicker than a bolt in a storm, silver and bronze speedskater J.R. Celski from Federal Way, Washington, is a blur for even those with the keenest eye.
• The Rocket  – Hailing from Remsen, New York, 2014 Olympic bronze medalist luger Erin Hamlin's power of speed and invisibility leaves the competition at the starting line.
• King Quad  – With the power of the quadruple jump, Salt Lake City, Utah, figure skater Nathan Chen can take any material and spin it into gold.
• The Fury – Defender of all that need preservation, two-time sled hockey Paralympic gold medalist Nikko Landeros from Johnston, Colorado, brings his power of intensity to the ice in search of the coveted trio of gold.

United Employees

• Sky Runner – Nancy Barteczko, a Chicago-based pilot who soars gracefully at cruising altitude, only touching down to deliver passengers to their destinations across the globe.
• Departicus – Lemont Penn, a customer service representative at Los Angeles International Airport and guardian of all those making passage, day or night.
• Winged Wonder – Karla Gonzalez De La Torre, a flight attendant based in New York/Newark with the ultimate triumvirate of powers: safety, hydration and fuel.
• Agent Cargo – Craig Cosentino, ramp/baggage worker at San Francisco International Airport with the strength of a thousand people.
• Storm Tamer – Michael Mugerditchian, a Chicago operations expert capable of parting even the most menacing clouds to grant safe passage for all on board.
• Directionator – Chicago-based wingwalker Michael Turner uses his power of navigation and glowing orbs of exploration to guide planes to their gates.

The campaign also includes the supporting cast of Sam Francisco-based Flight Attendant Nico Wotherspoon, San Francisco-based First Officer Chris Atherton, Los Angeles Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor Fernando Melendez and San Francisco-based flight attendant Lisa Schiffbauer.

To help bring this story to life, United and agency McGarryBowen worked with Hollywood director Martin Campbell and music composer Brian Tyler. Campbell is best known for directing "Green Lantern" and the James Bond movies "GoldenEye" and "Casino Royale" and Tyler is a composer, conductor and arranger with notable credits including scores for films from "The Avengers," "Iron Man," and "The Fast and the Furious" franchises.

As the official airline of Team USA, United flies athletes, and their equipment and gear, and maintains reservations agents dedicated to Team USA's travel needs.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,500 flights a day to 338 airports across five continents. In 2017, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 148 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 744 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express carriers operate 518 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 191 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol "UAL".

SOURCE United Airlines