Contextual In Action: How United Airlines Reached New Heights with CTV Advertising

When United Airlines launched its new nonstop service from the United States to Marrakech, Morocco, they partnered with Seedtag for a Connected TV (CTV) advertising campaign to reach travelers with relevant interests. Through an innovative contextual advertising approach powered by our contextual AI Liz, the campaign has achieved a 48% increase in consumer recognition of the new route and drove notable lifts in brand favorability and travel consideration.

Contextual Advertising: Connecting the dots for United Airlines

In collaboration with agency partner Carat, United Airlines aimed to build awareness for its new Marrakech route by connecting with potential travelers whose interests aligned with the unique aspects of the destination, building an audience based on what inspires them. Traditional travel advertising typically focuses on narrow targeting categories, but this campaign pushed boundaries by using contextual AI to uncover custom audience interests beyond conventional travel themes.

How It Worked:

• Open Web Content Analysis Seedtag’s AI-powered solution Liz, mapped a contextual graph of open web content relevant to the Marrakech route, identifying untapped interest segments.
• Custom CTV Targeting: The open web analysis guided the targeting for CTV Audiences. By focusing on content related to adventure, arts & crafts, food, technology, and travel, we ensured the ads reached the right audiences in highly relevant contexts.

As a result, the campaign went beyond the limits of traditional travel advertising by identifying white-space opportunities and placing United Airlines’ ads where they would be most effective and earn the most engagement from viewers.

Campaign Highlights: Meaningful Engagement and Brand Impact

 According to a third-party analysis by Cin, the partnership between United Airlines and Seedtag has delivered major results across key brand metrics:

• +48% Product Recognition: More consumers became aware of United’s new Marrakech route.
• +21% Brand Favorability: United Airlines earned stronger consumer sentiment.
• +7% Travel Consideration: Travelers showed increased interest in booking with United when flying to Marrakech.
• 80% Brand Differentiation: viewers agreed that United Airlines’ ads clearly set the brand apart from its competitors.

Additionally, the campaign reached over 122,000 unique households through CTV, placing ads in content genres that resonated with audiences ready to be inspired by new travel experiences. This targeted approach maximized relevance while keeping messaging contextually appropriate.

Maximizing CTV Campaigns Impact with Context

"This campaign was a perfect example of how our contextual advertising solutions can redefine audience engagement," said Kartal Goskel, CTO at Seedtag. "By merging our AI-powered contextual analysis of the open web with CTV execution, we connected United Airlines with travelers at the moments that truly mattered."

The ability to reach potential travelers through contextually relevant ads enabled United Airlines to establish a compelling narrative about its new route to Marrakech while reinforcing its brand promise. This strategy not only boosted awareness but also fostered deeper audience engagement, ensuring long-term brand loyalty.

Looking Ahead: Redefining Travel Advertising

The partnership with United Airlines highlights the transformative potential of contextual advertising in travel marketing. By blending CTV targeting with AI-driven open web content analysis, brands can craft campaigns that resonate emotionally while driving measurable business outcomes.

As travel continues to recover globally, contextual strategies will remain essential for brands seeking to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. Seedtag’s contextual solutions empower brands to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving advertising landscape, going beyond conventional targeting to create tailored, high-impact campaigns.

Ready to make your brand’s advertising strategy first class? Discover how contextual targeting can help your campaigns reach for the sky.