• by Tanya Gazdik , June 11, 2009

The airline, which claims to already be the "airline of choice" for Latinos and their families, aims to make Hispanics more aware of the benefits of becoming a member of the American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer program.

"American has had a commitment to this important demographic for decades," said Dan Garton, American's executive vice president of marketing, in a statement. "As the leading U.S. airline serving Latin America, we are in an ideal position to provide a service that makes it easy for families to stay in touch and business travelers to do business."

The 30-second spot will run on major Spanish-language TV networks, Univision and Telemundo, among other media. It shows a young Hispanic man earning miles by traveling for business and also by using his American Airlines credit card for store purchases. He's able to go and visit his family due to miles banked via frequent flyer programs. The spot ends with the tagline: "American Airlines. We know why you fly."

One of the print executions shows a line of chairs painted in different vibrant colors. It includes the headline (in Spanish): "For us, 'miles' means 'home.'" It includes the link to the Spanish-language frequent flyer Web site: aa.com/mismillas.

The campaign was developed by American's longtime U.S. Hispanic agency, Zubi Advertising Services Inc. It follows on the heels of another airline campaign targeting Hispanics: Southwest Airline's "Mr. Destination" effort, which launched last week.

American Airlines claims to offer more flights to more destinations than any other carrier. American's Latin America/Mexico route system includes 40 destinations in 17 countries, including five American Eagle destinations in Mexico. American and American Eagle fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and five destinations in the Dominican Republic. In addition, American recently added new service to Madrid, Spain, launching nonstop flights from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in May. American also flies to Madrid from Miami, and to Barcelona, Spain from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

"In each family, we want to be the enabling force for traveling," said Roger Frizzell, American's vice president for corporate communications and advertising, in a statement. "We want to be the airline that provides access to all those familiar and familial places -- soccer games, business events, and reunions. And we want travelers to know our AAdvantage program has the right scope and the right value for families."

American's commitment to Hispanic consumers is evident in its bilingual sales force and its participation in organizations and support for causes that make a difference in the lives of Hispanics, according to the airline. Hispanic Business magazine recently named AMR Corp. -- parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle -- as one of its "Diversity Elite 60," for its commitment to Hispanic hiring, promotion, marketing, philanthropy, and supplier diversity. In April, DiversityMBA Magazine named American Airlines one of the best places for diverse managers to work.