Destination News

Switch produces tailgate party celebrating new Southwest Airlines service out of Milwaukee

DALLAS — Nearly 1,000 people attended Southwest Airlines’ free Touchdown Milwaukee party on Nov. 1 to commemorate the airline’s new service out of Milwaukee and to support its recent ad campaign “Bags Fly Free” encouraging air travel during the recession. Experiential marketing agency Switch was hired to produce the event held in McKinley Park on Minnesota’s lakefront.

The Minnesota Vikings would be playing the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin. This game would mark the first time Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre would return to Wisconsin as a visiting player. Favre played for the Green Bay Packers for 16 seasons.

“Southwest Airlines had a vision. They knew they wanted a substantial tailgate party for this big game to inaugurate the 12 new daily flights from Milwaukee and to show Milwaukee fans the value and benefits that their flight service provides. They approached Switch for ideas on how to make this a fun, interactive event,” said Switch Senior Account Executive Jeannie Smith. “What we produced was a huge tailgate party for the Milwaukee community that really got them involved and having fun with the Southwest Airlines brand.”

Southwest Airlines’ marketing and public relations department used such social networking sites as Facebook and Twitter and its radio promotional partners to create buzz throughout the community about the event. Interested participants were encouraged to visit a special website dedicated to the event, www.Southwest/tailgate.com, to register. The event was limited to 1,000 participants.

“The Tailgate event gave us the perfect exposure in Milwaukee for the Southwest brand – our value, our customer services and our fun. Switch never fails to impress, which is pretty remarkable considering how different and perfectly-tailored their individual concepts are,” said Michelle Miller, Southwest’s Assistant Manager of National Strategic Partnerships.

The Switch team, led by Project Manager Lori Peeples, was given just a two-week lead time to pull the event together. The crew worked through several challenges, including rainy weather and mud, to meeting seemingly impossible deadlines. When it was all said and done, the event came off without a hitch and the client’s needs were met, if not exceeded.

The Switch staff secured a large, heated tent for the event and procured enough food and beverages to satisfy the nearly 1,000 people who were expected to attend. Switch also brought picnic tables, food and beer bars, bleachers, Astro Turf, a stage and bar tables for the event as well. Switch installed an 18 ft. by 24 ft. rear projection video screen inside the tent for fans to watch the football game, and an 18 ft. by 24 ft. LED television outside the tent. The outside area included four fire pits to create a comfortable outdoor viewing area for fans who enjoy the cold weather. Fox Sports was a sponsoring partner for the event.

Switch was also responsible for choreographing the event. A complete video and sound crew from Switch designed and executed a series of screen shots and included talking points provided by Southwest Airline’s marketing and public relations department about Southwest Airlines that were displayed throughout the game. Two local DJ’s emceed during commercial breaks.  

A 12-foot-tall, 500-pound suitcase designed and built by Switch to commemorate Southwest Airlines’ new flights out of Boston beginning in August was also on-hand at the Touchdown Milwaukee event. Participants could have their photo taken with the big suitcase and register to win free roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines and a vacation package.

Despite the Green Bay Packers losing to the Minnesota Vikings, most of the tailgate partygoers seemed to stay for the entire event and really enjoyed themselves, said Smith.

“The experience was just great. We had perfect, sunny weather, despite it having rained for two weeks prior to the event, which caused some challenges with the wet and muddy grass. But we were able to overcome those challenges and produce an event that everyone seemed really to enjoy. The amount of collaboration between Switch and Southwest Airlines’ representatives was tremendous, which contributed greatly to the success of the project.”

Switch liberates brands from traditional forms of media, engaging people to explore fun brands by immersing them in sensory experiences. Headquartered in St. Louis, MO with offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Phoenix, Switch creates and executes experiential marketing programs for clients nationwide, specializing in: mobile marketing tours, digital media, exhibits and environments, live events and business meetings. For more information, visit www.theswitch.us.