American Why

Project Title: American Why: Inspiring Team Members to Live the Brand Purpose

Objective:

To strengthen employee engagement and morale by connecting team members to American Airlines’ overarching purpose: “Caring for people on life’s journey.” The American Why campaign encouraged employees to see the bigger impact of their roles—fostering a sense of unity and purpose, especially during the challenges of the pandemic.

My Role:

• Concept Development: Developed the “American Why” campaign, creating Madlib-style graphics to help employees visualize and personalize their impact on customers and colleagues.

• Creative Leadership: Led the end-to-end creative execution, overseeing the key graphic designer and ensuring all visuals aligned with the campaign’s goals.

• Strategic Messaging: Collaborated with the VP of Corporate Communications to ensure messaging effectively addressed team morale, purpose, and alignment with company values.

• Campaign Execution: Developed and presented a wide range of creative activations, sparking meaningful conversations about living the brand purpose.

Challenges & Considerations:

• Boosting Morale During the Pandemic: Ensuring the campaign was not just engaging but also uplifting during a period of uncertainty.

• Universal Relevance: Crafting messaging and visuals that resonated across all employee roles—from frontline staff to corporate teams.

Outcome & Impact:

• Increased Employee Engagement – Encouraged team members to reflect on their contributions and strengthen their sense of purpose within the company.

• Broader Cultural Conversations – Sparked ongoing discussions on how to embed purpose-driven branding into everyday team interactions.

• Creative Recognition – The campaign’s unique storytelling approach gained internal recognition for its innovative execution and meaningful impact.