Hispanic PR Blog

FORT WORTH, TX – American Airlines has launched an online soccer game, the Penalty Challenge, narrated by famed Spanish-language sportscaster Fernando Fiore.

The game features the character, “Earn Miles,” a new soccer sensation, and players help him score the maximum number of points. After playing, fans can receive a discount on their next American Airlines flight.

The Penalty Challenge is part of American’s continuing campaign to court soccer fans and encourage them to become members of the AAdvantage  program, American’s travel awards program.  The game can be played in English or Spanish at www.aa.com/soccer.

As the Official Airline of Major League Soccer – as well as individual clubs, including FC Dallas, New York Red Bulls, D.C. United, Chicago Fire, and the New England Revolution – American Airlines has teamed up with the AC&M Group to create the interactive game, which augments its Major League Soccer partnership, a successful affiliation that has yielded strong results in the United States Hispanic market, as well as the national soccer community.

“We are very impressed with American’s commitment to serve soccer fans,” said Jaime Cardenas, Chief Executive Officer of AC&M, American’s partner in the game. “Over the last two years we have been working with American on its overall soccer initiative, and this game is a great example of how to engage soccer fans with the sport they love and at the same time offer them a great discount. American is one of the few companies that truly understands the importance of the U.S. soccer fan as a consumer. We know that the soccer fan base is very diverse, which is why the online game is available in both English and Spanish. We are proud to be part of this exciting project.”

Soccer fans can sign on to www.aa.com/soccer, select their language and enter their email address to play. If they are not yet AAdvantage members, fans can register for the AAdvantage program and receive a bonus of 1,000 miles just for signing up.  Once registered, they will receive a welcome e-mail with a password that they can use to redeem their discount.

Fiore, the famed Spanish-language sportscaster, does a play-by-play as the players try to score points – voicing the iconic “Goooooaaal!” when they score. After playing, users will have three options:   1. Play again, 2. Redeem their prize and 3. Tell a friend about the game.

The offer applies to new reservations for one-way or round-trip travel on American Airlines, American Eagle, or AmericanConnection , excluding other code share flights. Travel is valid from any American destination in the 48 contiguous United States to any American Airlines destination worldwide. Tickets must be purchased at AA.com or AA.com/espanol no later than 11:59 p.m. CT, Oct. 31, 2009.  All travel must be completed by Nov. 27, 2009.