Entry from July 04, 2008

“You are now free to move about the country” (Southwest Airlines)

Southwest Airlines began in 1967 as a low-cost airline based in Dallas, serving Houston and San Antonio. It is now one of the largest airlines in the United States.



GSD&M Idea City came up with the famous Southwest slogan (trademarked in 1997): “You are now free to move about the country.” The slogan is accompanied by a “DING!” noise and is a take-off on a pilot’s frequent line of “You are now free to move about the cabin.”



The slogan “You are now free to move about the county” was suspended for a time after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.





Wikipedia: Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas, with its largest focus city at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport. It is the largest airline in the United States by number of passengers carried domestically per year and (as of December 31, 2007) also the largest airline in the world by number of passengers carried. It is also the 6th largest U.S. airline by revenue. It also maintains the third-largest fleet of aircraft among all of the world’s commercial airlines.



Southwest Airlines has carried more customers than any other U.S. airline since August 2006 for combined domestic and international passengers according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Southwest Airlines is one of the world’s most profitable airlines and in January 2008, posted a profit for the 35th consecutive year.



History

Southwest Airlines was originally incorporated to serve three cities in Texas as Air Southwest on March 15, 1967, by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. According to frequently-cited story, King described the concept to Kelleher over dinner by drawing on a paper napkin a triangle symbolizing the routes.(Dallas, Houston, San Antonio)



Some of the incumbent airlines of the time (Braniff, Trans-Texas, and Continental Airlines) initiated legal action, and thus began a three-year legal battle to keep Air Southwest on the ground. Air Southwest eventually prevailed in the Texas Supreme Court, which ultimately upheld Air Southwest’s right to fly in Texas. The decision became final on December 7, 1970, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case without comment. That date is considered by many to be the de facto beginning of deregulation in the airline industry.

(...)

Advertisements

The company has employed humor in its advertising. Slogans include “Just Plane Smart,” “The Somebody Else Up There Who Loves You” and “THE Low Fare Airline”. The airline’s current slogan is “A Symbol of Freedom”. A select history of print and video ads are available on the company website.



Since the 1990s, Southwest has been running a television ad campaign based on the phrase “Wanna get away?” The commercials present comical, embarrassing situations in which people find themselves wanting to “get away”. Most ads are accompanied by the sound clip “[ding] You are now free to move about the country”; self-parody of the in-flight announcement that “you are now free to move about the cabin”.



The Southwest Airlines television commercial, “Flight Attendant,” was named in Adweek’s ‘Best Spots’ in August 2006.



GSD&M Idea City

Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we would fly with Herb Kelleher and help build the most successful airline in aviation history: Southwest Airlines. Nor did we ever imagine that we would ride with Sam Walton and help build the largest company in the world: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Or cook with Norm Brinker and help build the most successful casual sit-down restaurant in America: Chili’s. Never did we contemplate that we would climb with Ed Whitacre and help orchestrate the building of the largest telecommunications company in the world: AT&T. Or create America’s Favorite Advertising Slogan: “Don’t Mess with Texas.”



“YOU ARE NOW FREE TO MOVE ABOUT THE COUNTRY...DING”

WELCOME TO A BLOG ALL ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES



6 August 2000, Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO):

Currently, Southwest is advertising flights for $99. Then a voice simulating a plane’s captain says, “You are now free to move about the country.’’



AdWeek

Airlines Reassess Ad Approach

Last Week’s Attacks Force Clients to Rethink Marketing Messages

Sept 17, 2001

-Aaron Baar and Mike Beirne

(...)

Also being reconsidered is GSD&M’s work for Southwest Airlines, which has long centered on humor and employed the tag, “You are now free to move about the country,” mimicking a pilot’s pronouncement that the seat-belt sign has been turned off.



“Southwest Airlines has sus pended for at least a week, and we now will begin the process of discussing what the future tone of their advertising will be,” said GSD&M president Roy Spence in a statement. “It’s really too early to tell what’s going to happen.”



New York (NY) Times

Media & Advertising

People and Accounts of Note

By STUART ELLIOTT

Published: October 8, 2007

(...)

Four additional brand characters and slogans joined the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame after a public online vote. The characters are Orville Redenbacher, for the ConAgra popcorn brand of the same name, and the Chick-Fil-A cows. The slogans are “The few, the proud, the Marines” and “You are now free to move about the country,” for Southwest Airlines.



(Trademark)

Word Mark YOU ARE NOW FREE TO MOVE ABOUT THE COUNTRY

Goods and Services IC 039. US 100 105. G & S: Transportation Services, namely transporting passengers and cargo by air. FIRST USE: 19970711. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19970711

Standard Characters Claimed

Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK

Serial Number 76579030

Filing Date March 1, 2004

Current Filing Basis 1A

Original Filing Basis 1A

Published for Opposition November 30, 2004

Registration Number 2927614

Registration Date February 22, 2005

Owner (REGISTRANT) Southwest Airlines Co. CORPORATION TEXAS 2702 Love Field Drive P.O. Box 36611 Dallas TEXAS 752351611

Attorney of Record Pamela S. Smith

Prior Registrations 2112041;2238344;2615005

Type of Mark SERVICE MARK

Register PRINCIPAL

Live/Dead Indicator LIVE