- Aer Lingus has launched a new US brand campaign featuring Sharon Horgan
- The campaign positions the airline as ‘The Irish Airline’
- Research found 66pc of Americans surveyed do not know what Aer Lingus is
- The ad was co-written by Horgan and developed by her production company Merman
- The campaign highlights Aer Lingus’s European network and Dublin Hub preclearance
Aer Lingus has launched a new brand campaign in the US featuring actor, writer and producer Sharon Horgan. The ad playfully addresses the challenges the Aer Lingus name presents for the brand in America, with Horgan suggesting a simple, literal alternative: The Irish Airline. New Aer Lingus research found that 66pc of Americans surveyed do not know what Aer Lingus is, with some thinking it is a pasta brand, a wrestling move or even a type of dog.
Launching across digital platforms in the US, the commercial was co-written by Horgan and developed by her production company Merman, with the actress also taking a starring role. The film introduces Aer Lingus’s new US brand direction, positioning it as The Irish Airline. The campaign was developed by Uncommon Creative Studios, which is leading the airline’s brand repositioning in North America.
The Irish Airline will provide a platform to highlight what sets Aer Lingus apart for US customers, including its extensive European network and the ease of connecting onwards through its Dublin Hub, which offers US preclearance. The airline has introduced free high-speed Wi-Fi powered by Starlink across its transatlantic fleet. All Aer Lingus flights to and from North America offer Business Class and Economy, and in 2027 Aer Lingus will introduce further onboard experience enhancements.
Sharon Horgan shared “I am delighted to get the opportunity to work with Aer Lingus, Uncommon Creative Studios and Merman’s fantastic director Rachel Stubbings to bring this funny script to life. All the years of jokes about what Aer Lingus means have finally paid off.”
Susanne Carberry shared “North America continues to be a key market for Aer Lingus as we grow awareness of our brand across the Atlantic. Aer Lingus is, and always has been, ‘The Irish Airline’. Our new North American brand strategy is simple: we are just telling people who we are. Sharon and her team immediately understood the idea and brought it to life in a way that is warm, funny and unmistakably Irish.”
