Scotland’s Tartan Army just inspired a perfect example of reactive advertising

FastCompany: Since the World Cup began on June 11, thousands of international fans have been pouring into U.S. host cities to watch the games, and it’s caused social media to explode with heartwarming stories of cultural exchanges . Nowhere has that been more apparent than in Boston, where a huge influx of Scottish fans—also known as the “Tartan Army”—struck up a brief but intense kinship with local communities. A genius new campaign is turning that phenomenon into a travel ad. The United Airlines ad produced by the creative agency 72andSunny, is a new billboard that recently popped up near Boston Stadium.

Rendered in United ’s hallmark blue-and-white palette, the billboard features a brief message: “Go visit your new Scottish friends; With flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow.” The billboard may be simple, but it represents an example of genuinely good reactive marketing that’s recently eluded many other brands. It uses a tried-and-true formula to grab attention: capturing an organic insight, turning it into a unique brand statement, and getting it out into the world while it’s still relevant.

View this post on Instagram Follow the signs (and empty pints) For United and 72andSunny, the billboard started with a single insight: Boston and Scotland are an unexpected match made in sports heaven. The Tartan Army’s arrival, inspired by team Scotland’s games against Morocco and Haiti (both of which were held at Boston Stadium), got off to a shaky start. Right away, the city had to contend with the influx of tourists’ strain on its local infrastructure, including transit delays and squabbles over stadium security funding .

But as Peter Schworm wrote for The Boston Globe , “In the excitement of it all, Boston quickly forgot itself, shedding its skeptical reserve and embracing the joy of the event in full measure, cast under the Scottish spell.” That “Scottish spell” included bagpipe marches through downtown streets, local bars running out of beer on tap , and, oddly, a silly trend wherein Scottish visitors placed traffic cones on statues, fountains, and monuments across the city. [Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Images/Getty Images] “Their love of country, of sport as connection, of flat-out fun, all done without a trace of pretension, was stirring,” Schworm wrote.

“At a time of divisive, angry politics fueled by a deep distrust of immigrants, the city’s joy as people from dozens of countries joined in celebration stood in clear defiance.” Now the Tartan Army has left Boston behind to follow its team to Miami, leaving some Bostonians in a mourning period . Prepare for anything, but choose your moment That lovelorn emotion is the target of United’s new, localized billboard, which calls on bereft Bostonians to funnel their woes into international airfare.

According to Maggie Schmerin, chief advertising officer at the airline, the digital billboard was one of several United had purchased near World Cup venues ahead of the games, and then specifically tailored to the emerging cultural moment. “The opportunity in culture is not just to be fast,” Schmerin says. “It is to be relevant, useful, and emotionally worth people’s time. Our goal at United is to know which moments we have earned the right to enter.

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The article discusses a significant reactive advertising campaign by a major airline, which highlights the importance of cultural relevance in branding, making it impactful and relevant for brand strategy professionals.