In the latest phase of its Good Leads The Way campaign, United Airlines, in collaboration with 72andSunny, tells the story of the brand’s partnership with the PGA Tour, which goes beyond sponsorship and removes one of the biggest barriers for golf programs at Historically Black College and University (HBCU): funding for air travel. 

Told from the perspective of young players, the films amplify the powerful voices of these student athletes, using compelling imagery to build an appreciation of the shared respect and love for sports and athletes. 

More importantly, this work serves as a call to action for Black golfers to be seen, heard and included in the story of golf moving forward. The campaign acknowledges that “For as long as there’s been golf, there have been barriers” and goes on to show HBCU golfers who are breaking down those barriers, with help from United.  

A series of young golfers declare: “Golf is Black. Golf is mine. Golf is ours. Golf is for all of us.” We first see a young woman saying proudly: “It’s in the way I swing, the way I move.” She is followed by a young man who declares: “When I step on the course, it’s not with caution, but with pride. And with power.”

United will award HBCU golf teams more than $500,000 in grants, divided equally among 51 programs. Each team will receive $10,000 in travel credits, which will help an estimated 250 student-athletes and their coaches fly to tournament sites that might have been previously out of reach.

“Removing barriers for HBCU students to have the same opportunities given collegiate athletes will open doors for countless young Black golfers to achieve their dreams and for HBCU golf programs to develop to their full potential,” said United President Brett Hart. 

In May, United launched its Good Leads The Way campaign – the airline’s first national brand advertising push in nearly a decade, highlighting recent actions dedicated to customer service, diversity and sustainability. The launch of the campaign coincided with a new era of commercial travel, with a historic uptick in demand during the summer travel season. Good Leads The Way proudly features more than 60 employees across 150 pieces of ad creative. 

72andSunny had intentionality on the making of the ‘Golf is Ours’ campaign, bringing in an all-Black crew behind the scenes including the director, DP, agency creative teams, creative director, editor, colourist as well as consultation from United’s internal Black employee resource group, BEACON.  

Tahirah Edwards Byfield, creative director at 72andSunny, said, “We launched United’s brand mission of Good Leads The Way in May of 2022. This sponsorship, our work behind it, and the impact on the young golfers at HBCUs is one of the examples of how this airline is not just doing good in the air but on the ground as well. We are both proud and privileged to tell this story.”