New Southwest Brand Campaign: “The Big Flex”

New Southwest Brand Campaign: “The Big Flex”

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Southwest Airlines has just unveiled a new brand campaign, which is the carrier’s largest in nearly a decade…

Southwest’s new “The Big Flex” brand campaign

Southwest’s new brand campaign is called “The Big Flex,” and it’s intended to showcase the carrier’s flexible and customer friendly points of difference. This includes how the carrier allows two free checked bags, how flights credits and points don’t expire, and how there are no change or cancelation fees on tickets.

The campaign is centered around stories of customers who benefit from Southwest’s flexible policies, and showcases the ways customers can get more value and a better travel experience when flying on Southwest.

The new campaign will formally debut on April 22, with placements across multiple platforms, including streaming services, broadcast and cable TV, social media, and audio platforms.

Below you can see a few ad spots that are part of this campaign.

Here’s how Jonathan Clarkson, Southwest’s VP of Marketing, describes the campaign:

“In an industry full of growing complexity, Customers want ease and flexibility when they travel, and we pride ourselves on delivering an experience that doesn’t nickel and dime Customers with hidden fees. The inspiration for ‘The Big Flex’ is giving Customers the freedom to say yes by connecting them to what’s important in their lives with unrivaled flexibility. It’s about making a big deal out of something that others might overlook—like getting to check two bags for free, having the freedom to stay an extra day on your trip without worrying about change fees, and using your Rapid Rewards points whenever you want because they don’t expire.”

My take on Southwest’s new brand campaign

Southwest’s new ad campaign in fun, approachable, and a bit exaggerated, and I think it will grab attention of viewers. So on balance I think it’s quite well done.

Southwest does indeed still have some major points of differentiation, like two free checked bags, and travel credits not expiring. However, there’s no denying that the gap has narrowed in other areas. For example, both Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus miles no longer expire either, so that’s not a point of differentiation for Southwest.

Furthermore, it’s interesting how heavily the campaign is focused on Southwest’s lack of change or cancelation fees, since that’s basically the standard at most full service airlines in the United States nowadays.

Also, while I understand this is just an ad campaign intended to make a point, the whole concept of extending your vacation by a day and not having to pay a fee is technically accurate, but also a bit misleading. Yes, you didn’t pay a fee to change your flight, but you do have to pay the fare difference. And in a vast majority of instances, there will be a fare difference if you change your flight the day before departure.

I feel like Southwest should be leaning more into how it doesn’t have basic economy and allows free carry-ons, since that’s arguably a much bigger point of differentiation compared to the legacies.

Bottom line

Southwest has unveiled its new brand campaign, called “The Big Flex.” It’s lighthearted, and showcases Southwest “customers” who “flex” about how they’re flying Southwest and not paying change fees, checked bag fees, etc.

What do you make of Southwest’s new ad campaign?

Conversations (14)
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  1. Dean Guest

    I'm not sure this is any inducement for me to fly in the "new and improved" seats they are putting in. The head rests sound nice, but that's not the most important factor for many of us. Their new seats almost sound like the the A32X seats that AA was so proud of when they did a refresh a few years back. Those were the MOST uncomfortable coach seats I had ever sat in. I thought my butt was going to explode after the short flight between Denver and DFW.

  2. BradStPete Diamond

    I luv it ! say what you will and I am a huge Delta fan but people are loyal to WN. My partner is practically required to fly them because he MUST check 2 bags with each trip. Work related equipment. And after 30 flight segments this year alone he comments on how nice the crews are..etc, So Good On Southwest

  3. Eskimo Guest

    Maybe WN is trying to poach customers from Spirit.
    All ads point out to what Spirit customers would do. Brilliant and funny.

    1. Walking around with an espresso cup bragging about shampoo.

    2. Bring glassware into a pool. Abandoning kids for more vacation.

    3. Check in a gaming rig. Pack hack, hah! Your pack will be hacked into pieces.

    4. Brag about doing a flip to a random stranger, yet she doesn't find it...

    Maybe WN is trying to poach customers from Spirit.
    All ads point out to what Spirit customers would do. Brilliant and funny.

    1. Walking around with an espresso cup bragging about shampoo.

    2. Bring glassware into a pool. Abandoning kids for more vacation.

    3. Check in a gaming rig. Pack hack, hah! Your pack will be hacked into pieces.

    4. Brag about doing a flip to a random stranger, yet she doesn't find it creepy at all.

    Can expect to see all these people on your next Spirit flight.

  4. Adam L Guest

    I don't think this ad is meant to compete with the legacies... they're trying to wrestle away leisure travelers from Spirit and Breeze.

  5. JoePro Guest

    Flying both Basic Economy and Delta for the first time in my life this weekend. Learned Delta *does* allow a free overhead bag even for B.E, while AA and UA don't.

    If Southwest offered advanced extra-legroom seat assignments, I'd probably fly them almost exclusively for my domestic trips.

    1. Biglaw V10 Partner Guest

      AA aggressively forces gate-checking bags after Group 4 on all but the emptiest flights. Basic is the last group, so you'll almost certainly need to gate-check your bag. It is free though.

  6. Interested reader Guest

    Hi Ben, absolutely off topic but since this is your latest post: why not any news on your site on the Dubai airport flooding? Isn’t that a travel-related thing? Please stay objective in reporting aviation news.

    1. Biglaw V10 Partner Guest

      This is not a travel news site in the usual sense. The focus is topics of interest to people with an investment in miles and points. One of the items brought up in this Southwest campaign is that Southwest points don't expire.

      I'm going to lay out a frank statement. This blog is run by an American for a primarily American audience. Dubai is irrelevant to 95% of Americans who have no business or personal...

      This is not a travel news site in the usual sense. The focus is topics of interest to people with an investment in miles and points. One of the items brought up in this Southwest campaign is that Southwest points don't expire.

      I'm going to lay out a frank statement. This blog is run by an American for a primarily American audience. Dubai is irrelevant to 95% of Americans who have no business or personal ties in that part of the world, and have no interest in visiting because the tourism appeal of Dubai does not appeal to Americans.

      To the extent that airlines like Emirates serve the US, or serve connecting American passengers in Dubai airport lounges, that gets coverage on this blog. But more general news would not appeal to this audience.

    2. Ricky Guest

      This is Ben's blog and he chooses what to report on. The Dubai flooding has already been reported to death in the media.

    3. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Interested reader -- You're absolutely right, it is a big story. To be honest, I've had quite a week of travel and haven't necessarily been able to write during "normal" hours, and I felt like I could only actually get to it after it was a major story. Otherwise I absolutely would have covered it. I'm sorry I didn't get to it, but I promise it has nothing to do with objectivity.

    4. Interested Reader Guest

      Didn’t want to offend anybody, sorry. Take your time, looking forward to your opinion on the airport situation in DXB.

    5. David Diamond

      Probably shouldn't start off implying a lack of objectivity if you didn't want to offend anyone.

    6. Interested Reader Guest

      Fair point. I value Ben’s opinion on developments in aviation and Dubai airport/Emirates usually gets lots of airtime on this site.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Ben Schlappig OMAAT

@ Interested reader -- You're absolutely right, it is a big story. To be honest, I've had quite a week of travel and haven't necessarily been able to write during "normal" hours, and I felt like I could only actually get to it after it was a major story. Otherwise I absolutely would have covered it. I'm sorry I didn't get to it, but I promise it has nothing to do with objectivity.

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David Diamond

Probably shouldn't start off implying a lack of objectivity if you didn't want to offend anyone.

2
Biglaw V10 Partner Guest

This is not a travel news site in the usual sense. The focus is topics of interest to people with an investment in miles and points. One of the items brought up in this Southwest campaign is that Southwest points don't expire. I'm going to lay out a frank statement. This blog is run by an American for a primarily American audience. Dubai is irrelevant to 95% of Americans who have no business or personal ties in that part of the world, and have no interest in visiting because the tourism appeal of Dubai does not appeal to Americans. To the extent that airlines like Emirates serve the US, or serve connecting American passengers in Dubai airport lounges, that gets coverage on this blog. But more general news would not appeal to this audience.

2
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