SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES
HOW AGENCY SQUID HELPED A REGIONAL AIRLINE TAKE OFF AGAIN
Turning pilot recruitment into a brand-defining advantage for Sun Country Airlines, one of America’s fastest-growing low-cost carriers. Learn more on the airline’s official website.
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The Challenge
The U.S. aviation industry was facing a crisis years in the making. A post-9/11 freeze in flight training, compounded by pandemic disruptions, created a deficit of qualified pilots. Major carriers responded with signing bonuses, generous packages, and bulletproof reputations.
Sun Country couldn’t outspend Delta or American. But it could offer something those brands couldn’t: a better quality of life.
The challenge was two-fold:
Define the Sun Country brand for a new era.
Use that brand to recruit pilots in a way that felt authentic, competitive, and human.
The Solution
Our first step was listening.
We conducted stakeholder interviews with Sun Country’s new executive team and held focus groups with pilots in all stages of their careers. A clear pattern emerged: pilots weren’t just chasing money—they were chasing balance.
With faster captain promotion timelines, family-friendly schedules, and desirable destinations, Sun Country could offer a work/life balance few carriers could match.
We built the entire strategy around that human truth.
Research
Trends & Competitors
Our approach was rooted in truth—not assumptions.
Competitive Analysis revealed:
Legacy carriers led with prestige and perks, but lacked flexibility.
Upstart airlines leaned too heavily on price, with little brand clarity.
Focus Groups uncovered:
Young pilots wanted lifestyle and legacy—not just flight hours.
Sun Country was seen as approachable, nimble, and underrated.
Being able to fly a Boeing 737-800 faster than peers was a major draw.
We used these truths to shape positioning, differentiate from competitors, and sharpen how recruiters talked about the opportunity.
Branding
Strategy
The outcome of our brand discovery was a singular idea that worked across employer and consumer audiences alike:
“Fly at the Speed of Life.”™
This became more than a tagline. It became the core of Sun Country’s refreshed brand ethos—anchoring everything from pilot recruitment to vacation travel positioning to internal communications.
We supported it with a cohesive brand architecture:
Mission: Redefine regional air travel with real human value.
Voice: Direct. Honest. Unpretentious. Empowering.
Visual Identity: Bright, people-first photography paired with lifestyle-forward aircraft visuals to show life with Sun Country, not just on it.
The Work
Concept
Campaign Platform: “Fly at the Speed of Life.”™
This message met pilots where they were—between flight paths and life paths—and extended naturally to consumer travelers as well.
Recruitment Materials
Poster and billboard series showing the 737-800 paired with aspirational lifestyle imagery—from lakefronts to hiking trails.
Digital toolkits for recruiters with ready-to-deploy assets, messaging guides, and talking points built from focus group insights.
Website UX + Development
A newly designed pilot recruitment microsite anchored in storytelling and clear pathways to apply.
Mobile-optimized experience reflecting how pilots search and engage online.
Paid Media + Social Retargeting
Ads ran on aviation trade networks and across LinkedIn, Instagram, and programmatic channels.
Pilots were retargeted at different touchpoints with personalized messaging based on behavior.
University Events + Earned Media
On-campus events at the University of North Dakota and Minnesota State University Mankato featured the campaign at every touchpoint—from signage to video to recruiter scripts.
The launch generated over 5 million impressions through earned media in Minneapolis-St. Paul publications and aviation trade outlets.
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Results
FROM BANKRUPTCY TO FASTEST GROWING AIRLINE IN THE US
Pilot Recruitment Success
18 months of campaign use with consistent application across departments
Over 200 students and instructors attended each recruitment event during launch
Significant uptick in application volume and quality, tracked across recruiter dashboards
Earned media placement in both local press and national trade coverage
Brand Impact
The “Fly at the Speed of Life” campaign extended into mainstream consumer media, creating dual-purpose value across B2B and B2C audiences
Digital placements saw 1%+ CTR, and a 45% blended conversion rate across ad platforms
Employee sentiment and retention saw anecdotal improvements, as pilots felt “seen” by the brand they represented
