‘Hennifer’ catches a ride to the Rodeo

When our Brand Marketing team learned that Denver-based artist Lauren Young needed help transporting an 8-foot-tall disco chicken to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, they saw an opportunity to bring teams across the airline together to help make it happen. Meet “Hennifer,” an 8-foot-tall disco chicken covered in more than half a million shimmering glass tiles.

Created by Young, the larger-than-life sculpture was set to make its dazzling debut at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. But first, Hennifer needed to fly the coop — traveling from DEN to IAH.

To get her there safely, our Brand Marketing and Cargo teams partnered with the artist to help coordinate the journey, turning what could have been a complicated move into a moment that brought multiple teams together.

When it came time to move the larger-than-life sculpture across the country, Lauren knew exactly who she trusted with the job.

“I usually fly United,” she said. “So it worked really well that Hennifer was in Denver near the hub. We figured if United can fly people, why not an 8-foot disco chicken?”

When chickens fly

Creating Hennifer was no small task.

Young spent nearly 200 hours constructing the sculpture’s body before adding the finishing touches — more than 500,000 individual disco tiles she carefully placed by hand.

“It’s real glass,” she said. “Every single piece I laid with my finger.”

The result was one of the largest pieces she’s ever made. But while the sculpture dazzled, moving it posed a challenge.

“Hennifer is extremely wide,” Young said. “She can only fit through certain cargo doors. So we had to design her carefully and even make the lower legs detachable so she could fit into a freight vehicle — and eventually an airplane.”

Getting the sculpture from her Denver studio to Houston safely felt daunting.

“Figuring out how to transport her was definitely stressful,” Young said.

That’s when she reached out to United — and the (disco) ball started rolling.

“I picked United to ensure she was in good hands going to the rodeo,” she said.

A special ride below the wing

While Hennifer wasn’t settling into seat 2B to watch inflight entertainment, she still had a safe ride below the wing.

That’s where United’s Cargo team came in. But even for a group used to unusual shipments, this one stood out.

“We first learned about Hennifer in September 2025, and our initial reaction was one of surprise,” said Cargo Marketing & Communication Manager Stephanie Robbe Kramer. “While we regularly handle fascinating shipments (including awards, fashion items, military equipment, and lifesaving pharmaceuticals), this marked our first disco chicken and ‘coop.’” 

Because of Hennifer’s size, the team had to work closely with the artist and shippers to design a crate that would meet United’s cargo specifications — including a strict height limit of 64 inches.

That meant planning every step carefully.

“Transporting something that’s never been shipped before takes planning and collaboration,” Stephanie said. “But that’s what makes working in cargo interesting.”

“Our team partnered with the artist to design the crate and create a secure packing process,” said DEN Cargo Operations Manager Doug McCuen.

Hennifer was wrapped in layers of bubble wrap and shrink wrap before the crate walls were assembled around her piece by piece. 

Along the way, the team learned that handling a sculpture covered in tiny glass tiles can come with a few unexpected hazards.

“Handling a disco-ball chicken creates micro-cuts,” shared Doug. “That was definitely a lesson learned.”

Hennifer gave a new meaning to the term “precious cargo,” teaching our teams to approach sparkles with caution.

Lights, camera, chicken

A flying disco chicken isn’t something you see every day — so our Brand Marketing team couldn’t resist documenting the journey.

They turned Hennifer’s trip into a playful behind-the-scenes story for employees and customers alike.

"Moments like this are a perfect example of what happens when different teams across United come together. Cargo handled the logistics to get Hennifer safely to IAH, and our social team saw an opportunity to share the story with customers in a fun way,” said Sr. Social Media Community Manager Olivia Bagwell. “It’s proof that when you combine teamwork with a little creativity, even an 8-foot disco chicken can take flight."

The two-post campaign began with a passenger-POV teaser. Picture this: you’re sitting at the window seat, watching bags load before departure — a routine part of travel — when suddenly, a truck pulls up carrying a giant disco chicken.

The follow-up post revealed the full story vlog-style, tracing Hennifer’s journey step by step — from the cargo ramp to the aircraft hold, onto the luggage loader, landing at IAH and finally arriving at the rodeo.

The social team even invited followers to join the fun with a giveaway inspired by Hennifer herself, offering fans a chance to win bandanas so they could “twin” with the disco chicken.

When customers trust us with what matters to them — whether it’s people, cargo or even an 8-foot disco chicken — our teams know how to make it fly.

Check out Hennifer’s close-up on TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. And show this chick some love!