Sometimes, it’s a matter of more than half-a-million little mirror tiles bringing on the shine – and its value is in its rarity rather than any carats. As in the case of United Cargo’s recent and highly unusual Special Shipment. While day-old chicks are a daily occurrence in air freight with millions being flown around the world each year, they aren’t normally a staggering 8 foot high and glittery. The U.S. carrier was recently approached with the request to transport a one-of-a-kind Disco Chicken. It plucked up the courage, took on the chicken challenge and made that bird fly…
…all the way from its home coop in Denver, to the world’s largest livestock show and rodeo in Houston. Social media channels loved the story and were rife with puns. As one fan [Paul Ipolito on Facebook] put it: “United was eggs-actly the best airline for this project. The other choices are not what they are cracked up to be. This is definitely a feather in United’s cap!” United Airlines’ media team were on the ball (or should that be ‘egging him on’?), too, with their comeback to him: “Really laid some egg-sellent puns there!” From “a plucktacular bird” through to “wingin’ it!” to “Get the cluck outta here! Great job, UAL”, there was a lot of praise and enjoyment for what United Cargo termed its “sparkliest mission yet”.
The work of Lauren Young
The story wouldn’t exist, however, without Disco Chicken’s creator: 30-something Lauren Young is a self-taught, Denver-based multidisciplinary artist who runs the brand Abstruse and seeks to bring glitter and fun to all kinds of events. Her belief is that “Art should spark joy, curiosity, and connection. Whether it’s a 20-foot fruit installation, a carousel of disco horses, or a tiny bolo tie made for a portable party, my goal is to create works that feel both unexpected and unforgettable.” Her TikTok page shows the initial mini-hen on which the Disco Chicken was modelled, and illustrates the steps taken to develop it – the work being carried out in her backyard and all by hand. The result is a stunning 8-foot piece of art, retailing at USD 26,000, with its gold legs [which she demonstrates in one video, could well be used to wave in taxiing aircraft] coming in extra at around USD 1,100. As Young’s page states: “Meet the queen of the coop and the undisputed ruler of the dance floor – the 8-Foot Disco Chicken. […] By day, she’s a jaw-dropping art piece. By night, she transforms into a light-scattering spectacle, sending shimmering reflections across walls, ceilings, and everyone lucky enough to be nearby. Perfect for large events, music festivals, photo ops, and venues that want to go way beyond ordinary décor.”
Debut at the Houston Rodeo
Hennifer’s destination as a chicken disco ball debutante was the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR), which is the world’s largest event of its kind, drawing in 2.7 million people last year. This year, it is on from 02-22MAR26. The livestock show’s beginnings date back to 1932 – originally started by cattle breeders. I doubt they would have imagined an 8-foot chicken dangling from the ceiling of one of the many tents – appropriately named the ‘Chicken Shack’ – 90-odd years on**. Or that the volunteers involved in the annual event today number more than 36,000. And above all, given that the first event in 1932 ran for a week and made a loss of USD 2,800, that it would now be the 7th largest charity in Houston, bringing in USD 30 million over the three weeks, this year, to support scholarships, grants, and graduate assistantships for young people in Texas. A glittering result in more ways than one.
And United plays its part
United Airlines is no stranger to the HLSR, given that it has long been involved in the event’s BBQ Cookoff and maintains a prominent private tent there with a model of one of its aircraft. So, when Lauren Young’s mother contacted United Cargo for help in getting the oversized bird to Houston, the team was in. As its press release states: “Bound for her debut at HLSR, Hennifer was no ordinary passenger – but the United Cargo team made sure she travelled just as safely and smoothly. Moving the glittering bird from DEN to IAH required creativity and precision in equal measure. United Cargo specialists worked hand-in-hand with Lauren to custom-design a crate meeting strict aircraft specifications and height limits. Before departure, Hennifer was carefully wrapped, cushioned, and secured to protect every glimmering feather.”
Doug McCuen, DEN Cargo Operations Manager at United, enthused: “It takes incredible teamwork to move something like Hennifer across the country – we got to share the sparkle.”
*Even though the artist settled on Hennifer Lopez as the Disco Chicken’s name in her ‘making-of’ TikTok videos, CargoForwarder Global liberally added a different fake surname because: a) creative license and b) it fits the mirrored bits, we reckon.
** You might say “Of course not! Disco balls weren’t in existence until the disco era of the 1970s!” Well, here’s a bit of trivia for you: The first precursors to the modern disco ball – called “mirror balls” – appeared in the late 19th century, with the earliest documented use dating to 1897 at an electricians’ union party in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Did you know that?
