Colle McVoy has landed its first airline client in Allegiant. The Minneapolis-based agency was selected to steer brand strategy for the company on the heels of its merger with Sun Country Airlines.  The Stagwell-owned agency’s remit includes brand identity development, employee and customer engagement, and go-to-market planning for Allegiant. The partnership comes weeks after Las Vegas-based Allegiant completed its acquisition of Minneapolis-based airline Sun Country Airlines, which had operated out of Minnesota for more than four decades.  After receiving a key approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the two companies will continue to operate as separate carriers under common ownership, according to a press release. “We're really excited to see this as Allegiant sees this,” John Doyle, chief strategy officer at Colle McVoy, told ADWEEK. “Which is not necessarily a zero-sum merger, where we're going to lose some things, but what do we stand to gain?” Colle McVoy secured the account after a competitive review, in which Allegiant asked for a mock brand redesign. Doyle did not share details on competitors, but said the companies’ shared Minnesotan roots may have tipped the scales in Colle McVoy’s favor. The agency will help navigate the airline through this period of change by solidifying both carriers’ brands under their new ownership. Part of its strategy will be centered around understanding the impact of the company’s existing brand ethos, which Doyle said isn’t always credited as a tool to make decisions. “We are setting out to be the creative agency of record for this next era of brand building, where brand comes closer to the center of the enterprise as an asset that must be honored in choices by the company,” Doyle said. Doyle said Colle McVoy has a track record of repositioning legacy brands for a new era, pointing to prior work with La-Z-Boy. For years, the brand defined itself as aesthetic-forward, but Colle McVoy brought its identity back to basics: comfort. A potential challenge with the Allegiant brand will be balancing its present with its future post-merger.  “How do you get credit for the brand you're going to become while still being the brand you are today?” Doyle said, adding the agency will seek out earned attention drivers versus just paid advertising. Allegiant is the latest client in Colle McVoy’s travel and leisure portfolio, which also includes Jackson Hole and Explore Minnesota.  At a time when airlines like Delta are prioritizing affluent travelers, Doyle sees an opportunity for Allegiant to differentiate around smart and affordable travel versus status.“The truth of consumer experiences today is that your competitor is very infrequently the next guy over on the next jetway,” Doyle said. “It’s the best experience your consumer had yesterday.”