You oughta be in pictures!  Well, Southwest Airlines that is.  The Southwest Airlines Branded Entertainment Team works to integrate Southwest into television and film productions, showcasing the best Southwest has to offer – our People, our Culture, our Planes, and our travel experience. The huge success of the A&E Network’s Airline helped us realize the value of reaching audiences our traditional advertising doesn’t and showcasing Southwest in hip, heart-warming, and relevant entertainment.  

Southwest provides travel, filming locations (filming on our planes), and actors (our Employees) in exchange for organic integrations into the show.  By organic we mean that we are an integral part of the story.  We evaluate each opportunity to make sure the film or TV show matches with our Company values of family-friendly FUN!  We don’t work with every show– we have to make sure that a partnership with Southwest Airlines makes sense, and we can add value in some meaningful way.

As an example, Southwest Airlines formed a partnership with the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition show seven seasons ago, and we are their official airline helping make dreams come true for deserving families. In addition to travel, we’ve provided volunteers and airline memorabilia to create an “airplane room” for a little boy! It’s a great partnership.

Most recently, we got to be a part of a new family series on NBC called Great American Road Trip where seven families travel across the country competing in challenges to determine a winning family. Families participate in a challenge onboard a Southwest Airlines aircraft, getting the aircraft ready for takeoff in a short amount of time. The winning family receives a trip on Southwest Airlines to a relaxing resort spa. The photos are of the shoot. It’s interesting to be on set and realize it takes eight cameras to capture all the angles of the competition! The episode with the Southwest Airlines integration airs this Monday, July 27th at 8 pm EDT/7 pm CDT! Check your NBC affiliate and be sure to tune in!

We also work on motion picture partnerships! Has anyone seen Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? I guess the question should be…who has NOT seen Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen?  In the film, the main female character Mikaela (Megan Fox) is traveling to meet up with her boyfriend Sam (Shia LeBouf) after they both realize the Decepticons are back. We filmed a scene at a Southwest Airlines ticket counter where Mikaela purchases a ticket on Southwest Airlines. It was exciting to watch the film and see the Southwest Airlines logo shine brightly in the background!

That’s what our Branded Entertainment group is all about! So, even if people set their DVRs, we know they will get a glimpse of the true Southwest as part of the programs they enjoy watching.