American Airlines has appointed Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B) and MediaCom to manage its global advertising and media business following a pitch.

The US carrier called a review of its agency arrangements in July, with AAR handling the process. The accounts were held by McCann Worldgroup agencies McCann Erickson and TM.

CP+B and GroupM’s MediaCom reportedly defeated rival pitches from IPG, Publicis Groupe and Omnicom Group.

It comes as American Airlines prepares to complete its merger with domestic rival US Airways, investing more than $2bn in integrating IT systems and refreshing its fleet of aircraft.

Fernand Fernandez, the airline’s vice president global marketing, said: “From the very start, CP+B and MediaCom showed a clear understanding of American’s assets and opportunities, and it all starts with our 100,000 employees.

“We want to capture the enthusiasm and passion our employees have for the future of the airline and deliver that message to our customers with a genuine and unique campaign. We think our employees and our customers will be proud of how CP+B and MediaCom work with us to present American’s brand in the coming years.”