GSD&M Targets Wedding Season for Southwest Airlines

By Erik Oster 

GSD&M is launching its fall campaign for Southwest Airlines with a new spot, entitled “Wedding,” which debuts this Sunday during NFL programming.

The ad touts Southwest Airlines as the perfect partner for wedding season. While it may seem like odd timing (with wedding season just ending), invitations are likely making their way out now, and people like the woman in the ad may be wondering how they’re going to make it to several different weddings without going broke. The spot takes a humorous approach, showing the woman partying it up, dancing at several different weddings, before finally resting (very) easy on a Southwest flight. “Everyone deserves 73 dollar fares,” says a voiceover, “because wedding season can get expensive.”

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The broadcast spot, as well as a few which roll out later in the month, will run through December. There’s also a print campaign, shot by photographer Martin Schoeller, which features product-focused messages promoting “Bags Fly Free” and free in-flight TV courtesy of DISH.

Credits:

Agency: GSD&M

Client: Southwest Airlines

Title: 2014 Fall Campaign

Chief Creative Officer: Jay Russell

Group Creative Director: Brent Ladd (SVP) and Lara Bridger

Creative Director/AD: Nikki Baker, Time Eger, Joel Davis, Will Chau

Creative Director/Writer: Leslie Schaffer, Tom Hamling, Andy Miller

Associate CD/AD: Mike Ferrer

Art Director: Dale Austin (Senior AD) and Laura Canzano

Copywriter: Christine Amy, Brandon Curl

SVP, Director of Production: Jake Epsteen

Executive Producer: Marianne Newton

Freelance EP/Senior Producer: Carolyn Casey

Associate Producer: Adriane Weast

Director of Business Affairs: Keli Christy

Business Affairs: J.J. Gaines

Account Leadership: Marianne Malina, Coley Platt, Amy Lyon, Sara Scott, Kate Rutkowski, Jodi Bucciarelli, Lauren Bradshaw, Chad Wise, Audrey Henderson

Project Management: Elizabeth Stelling, Kanika Pendergrass

Experience and Insights: Klaudia Flanigin

Studio Services: Liz Hamel

Production Company: Smuggler, Skunk (“Machine”)

Director: Jun Diaz, Raf Wathion (“Machine”)

Executive Producer: Lisa Tauscher, “Machine:” Matt Factor, Shelly Townshend

Producer: Kathy Rhodes, Omar Bustos (“Machine”)

Editorial Company: Beast

Executive Producer: Ron Rendon

Producer: Erin Dykman

Editors: Sam Selis, Kevin Garcia

Asst. Editors: Ben Ellis, Brandon Brown, Jon Saltzman

Music: Nick Waterhouse – Various: “It No. 3”; Machine: Singing Serpent; Bold: JSM; Four Weddings: Salt-N-Pepa – “Push It”, Young MC – “Bust A Move”, Christopher Cross – “Sailing”, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch – “Good Vibrations”; Swagger: Bee Gees “Stayin Alive” rerecorded by Elias Arts

Graphics: Blind

Smoke Artist: Jim Reed

VFX/Online: Beast Editorial

Audio: Pony Sound

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