Why United Airlines is getting grouchy

New campaign focuses on sustainable aviation fuel from trash

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Introducing United’s Chief Trash Officer, Oscar the Grouch. Image: United.

When my kids watched TV as preschoolers, it usually came in two flavors: “Baby Einstein” videos when we had an eye on getting them into one of Manhattan’s crazily competitive nursery schools (yes) and the insipid “Barney & Friends” when it was time to just plain distract them.

Perhaps the best-known kids’ show, “Sesame Street,” was not on the menu because my son and daughter did not like it. They tended to enjoy the gentler ways of the purple Barney and his other colorful pals over the jerky antics of Elmo, Big Bird, Kermit, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Bert, Grover and more.

In particular, they didn’t like Oscar the Grouch, a furry fellow who lived in a garbage can. My kids became somewhat alarmed when the scowling green creature would burst out of the can and cavort with shouts and jerky movements.

Not anxious, though, are the higher-ups at United Airlines UAL 0.00%↑, who have named Oscar as Chief Trash Officer as it teams up Sesame Workshop on a new education campaign to help travelers understand how sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) works, especially focusing on how SAF can be made from onboard waste.

The new campaign — which features the puppet in more than 30 pieces of original video, digital, social and out-of-home content — follows the fuzzy furball’s journey to the C-suite, starring alongside real United employees, according to a news release.