Avelo Airlines | National Launch
The Opportunity
Avelo Airlines was preparing to become the first new U.S. mainline airline in nearly 15 years, launching at an extraordinary moment for the travel industry. The COVID-19 pandemic had dramatically disrupted air travel, and consumers were only beginning to return to the skies.
Introducing a new airline in that environment meant doing more than generating awareness. We needed to build credibility and excitement around an unfamiliar brand, introduce its leadership, and give media a compelling reason to experience and tell the Avelo story firsthand.
The Approach
We built the launch around Avelo's inaugural flight, creating a multi-stage media experience designed to introduce the company, its leadership, the onboard experience, and its first destination.
The launch began at Hollywood Burbank Airport with a press conference, executive interviews, aircraft tours, and an inaugural ribbon cutting. More than 40 journalists then boarded Avelo's first flight from Burbank to Sonoma, giving media the opportunity to experience the new airline firsthand.
Upon arrival, the story continued with a media event in wine country developed in partnership with Napa and Sonoma tourism organizations, connecting Avelo's launch to the destinations and travel experiences its new service made accessible.
I led the launch across multiple interconnected workstreams, overseeing the agency team and managing a six-figure event budget while coordinating Avelo executives, more than 40 journalists, airports, destination partners, production teams, and external vendors. My role spanned positioning, executive messaging, media strategy, customer communications, partner management, and event execution from the initial announcement through the inaugural flight.
As Avelo expanded, I also coordinated communications with 12 airports and tourism organizations, aligning national brand priorities with the needs of each local market and ensuring that every new route supported a cohesive, credible growth story.
The Impact
The launch introduced Avelo on a national stage and gave media multiple ways to experience and tell the story of a new airline entering the market at a pivotal moment for travel. Over the first six months, the program generated 15 billion earned impressions, 4,851 media placements, more than 50 million video views, and 96% positive sentiment.
Beyond the launch itself, the work established a scalable communications framework that supported Avelo as it expanded into new markets, announced new routes, and introduced its leadership and brand to travelers across the country.
