United, Sesame Street partner on campaign
Aiming to educate public about sustainable fuel
United Airlines has a new “chief trash officer,” and his name is Oscar the Grouch.
That’s right: the Chicago-based carrier paired up with Sesame Workshop on an education campaign to help travelers better understand how sustainable aviation fuel works, especially focusing on how SAF can be made from onboard waste.
United executives said that sustainable aviation fuel can be complicated to understand and that the partnership will go a long way toward helping make the technology more comprehensible to the average traveler.
Sesame Workshop has a long history of explaining complex topics in easy-tounderstand terms, executives said on a press call announcing the new campaign.
“Every airline burns jet fuel to run their business, but no airline will solve climate change on its own. So United has enlisted Oscar to help us educate the traveling public of all ages about SAF and rally them to the cause of fighting climate change,” United chief communications officer Josh Earnest said in a statement. “From banana peels to fryer grease, Oscar is uniquely qualified to help us explain why trash could be the treasure that fuels the jets of the future.”
The campaign should run through at least the end of the year and will include social media promotions, digital advertisements and other installations.
“This campaign provided a special opportunity to showcase an iconic Sesame Street character, Oscar the Grouch, celebrating what he loves best – trash,” Sesame Workshop’s vice president of global strategic partnerships and themed entertainment Jennifer Ahearn said in a statement. “The amazing collaboration helps United Airlines explain in simpler terms the technology of turning trash into fuel in a fun and engaging manner.”
Sustainable aviation fuel is a technology that powers jets without needing to drill for traditional petroleum. It can be produced from food waste, agricultural feedstock, other bio-materials like algae and wood pulp, and even from carbon dioxide pulled directly out of the atmosphere.