Southwest Airlines Announces Innovative Advertising

Airline Splashes Bags Fly Free Messages on its Aircraft and Equipment

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May 19, 2010, 04:17 ET

DALLAS, May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines is taking its Bags Fly Free advertising one step further. Over the next six weeks, the airline will decal more than 50 aircraft with the slogan, "Free Bags Fly Here" and an arrow pointing to its Cargo bin. The airline will also tag approximately 1,000 luggage carts across the system with banners that say "I Carry Free Bags." Using its most visible assets--airplanes and ground support equipment--is just another way Southwest is reinforcing its commitment not to charge for Customers' first two checked bags! To see images of the decaled aircraft and luggage carts, click here.

To support the new extension of its messaging, Southwest Airlines today brought some of its Employees made famous from the airline's recent television ad campaign to its Headquarters for a photo shoot with the aircraft and airport equipment. The "Rampers" from the spot entitled "Battle Cry," featuring Ramp Agents "revealing" Southwest's Bags Fly Free policy, hammed it up for the cameras in Dallas and talked about how life has changed since the commercials have aired. The Rampers even played an important role at the Company's Annual Shareholder Meeting today. At the meeting, Chairman, President, and CEO Gary Kelly asked the 11 Rampers to help him reiterate Southwest's stance on its baggage policy! See photos here.

To view behind-the-scenes video from today's Shareholder meeting and photo shoot, please visit the video gallery at www.swamedia.com.

After nearly 39 years of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low fare carriers—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded, currently serving 68, soon to be 69 cities with the addition of Panama City Beach on May 23, 2010, in 35 states. Southwest also is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit www.southwest.com/cares to read the One Report. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has nearly 35,000 Employees systemwide.

www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines