Mascots Dinger, Rocky and Bernie star in Southwest Airlines’ “Big Flex” marketing push
Southwest Airways has recruited Denver sport mascots Dinger, Rocky and Bernie to assist with a brand new advertising marketing campaign that highlights what the service touts as versatile insurance policies on baggage, change and cancellation charges and reward factors.
The Dallas-based airline kicked off a nationwide publicity push referred to as “The Massive Flex” final week and unveiled adverts and indicators Monday in Denver. The Denver-focused promoting options Dinger from the Colorado Rockies, Rocky from the Denver Nuggets and Bernie from the Colorado Avalanche.
In a bit of fine timing, Southwest’s native marketing campaign bought underway because the Nuggets received the first-round collection of the NBA playoffs and the Avalanche closed out the primary spherical within the NHL to advance within the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Video spots utilizing staff mascots had been shot at Denver Worldwide Airport.
“They have fun our sponsorship relationships with the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Rockies, using the mascots in humorous style,” mentioned Jonathan Clarkson, vp of selling at Southwest.
Southwest’s Denver advertising marketing campaign heading into the summer season journey season features a video that follows a traveler operating into Rocky, Bernie the St. Bernard and Dinger on his approach by way of DIA to make a flight. Every mascot additionally stars in particular person spots.
The three hometown mascots’ roles within the “The Massive Flex” marketing campaign deal with such Southwest insurance policies as every passenger attending to examine two luggage freed from cost.
Different adverts promote that Southwest doesn’t cost charges for modifications or cancellations and the airline’s reward factors don’t expire. Within the case of cancellations, discover should be given at the least 10 minutes earlier than departure.
Clarkson mentioned Southwest is intent on rising its share of vacationers in Denver, residence to the airline’s largest variety of flights. The service has 316 every day flights to just about 100 locations and has 40 gates on the airport.
“Denver is a big worker base for us. We’ve bought practically 7,000 of our workers working there,” Clarkson mentioned.
Southwest just lately introduced a handful of cutbacks to flights out of Denver. Beginning in August, Southwest mentioned it’s ending flights to 4 airports and scaling again flights to Chicago O’Hare Worldwide Airport and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport. The airline mentioned the cuts are due partly to challenges brought on by the delay of Boeing plane and below-projected first-quarter earnings this 12 months.
Clarkson mentioned the brand new advertising marketing campaign “closely leans into” what makes Southwest Airways totally different. He mentioned analysis reveals that individuals need flexibility after they’re flying and change into annoyed when issues aren’t versatile or really feel they’re being “nickel and dimed.”
Southwest is reiterating its insurance policies for current prospects and concentrating on youthful vacationers — millennials and Era Z — who’re beginning to make up a much bigger portion of the flying public.
The airline’s share of the Denver market in 2024 is 32.3%, second to United Airways at 48.8%
Southwest is constructing a 100,000-square-foot provisioning and floor help gear upkeep constructing and 30,000-square-foot cargo facility in Denver. Each are anticipated to be open in 2025.