Southwest - Business Travel Change

Southwest - Business Travel Change

Southwest ‘Business Travel Challenge’ | Southwest Airlines recently launched a series of advertising spots titled the ‘Business Travel Challenge’, which, using campy dialogue and a game show setup, exhibit Southwest’s advantages for business travel. The creative framework was developed by Austin, TX-based agency GSD&M, who constructed large sets of 80 foot-long courses for the game show-themed sets. In the ads, two contestants test what it’s like to travel under business travel scenarios.

One spot whimsically highlights Southwest’s lack of change fees, and another shows the airline’s elimination of bag fees. Five commercial spots were released to YouTube through the Nuts About Southwest channel, bringing in 2000 to 7000 views each.

In a follow-up to the commercials, Southwest is bringing the ‘Business Travel Challenge’ to customers across four US cities. The challenges will feature similar game sets, inviting customers in Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco to run through the game set ups. If contestants make it through to the end, they have a chance to win Southwest Airlines tickets and discounts. According to the airline, further details on locations, times and the prizes to be won will be announced on Facebook. In creating and translating a well-received television spot into an experience for customers, Southwest is targeting the US domestic business market in a very non-traditional manner, bridging the online and offline worlds.