GSD&M Targets Wedding Season for Southwest Airlines

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 for weddings during the season 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.”

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. (more…)

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GSD&M Convinces Southwest Airlines to Show Us Its Pearly Whites

Today Austin’s GSD&M released a sunny new spot for client Southwest Airlines in order to promote its just-announced vacation destinations.

The “just got our passport” theme stems from the fact that Southwest will begin flying to spots outside the continental U.S. for the first time on its more-than-40-year history on July 1st.

The agency enlisted award-winning photographer Martin Schoeller, a celebrity portraitist whose subjects include various film stars and regular guys with wives and kids, to direct the spot–hence its focus on confessional close-ups of the people who have a good time helping you get to where you’re going.

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GSD&M Launch Zales Holiday Campaign with ‘Balloons’

GSD&M has Zales’ “Let Love Shine” holiday campaign with the spot “Balloon,” featuring the surprisingly not terrible music of Lord Huron. I say “surprisingly not terrible” because of the band’s name, but the diamond store chain boasts that in 2010, it did help propel The Black Keys (not my favorite but certainly not terrible) to stardom by using their music in an ad (and newer indie darlings like Alabama Shakes in subsequent campaigns).

While jewelry commercials are sentimental by nature, this one tries not to be too cloying about it. It shows a man trudge across a snow-covered city to propose to his girlfriend by holding a bunch of balloons to get her attention and then take out the engagement ring. It’s kind of cute, even if it’s a little perplexing to not be in the same room for a proposal.

I’m not quite ready for the onslaught of holiday advertising yet, but I know what I hate, and I don’t hate this spot for Zales “Celebration” bridal collection. And that’s rare for a jewelry spot, especially one around this time of year. Credits after the jump.

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