Southwest's Super Bowl ad owned itself a little too hard

"In Southwest Airlines' new Super Bowl ad, boarding looks more like the Hunger Games than an orderly process. Set in an airport that's been reimagined as a dense jungle, passengers rush to secure their preferred seats before it's too late: a woman swings on a giant vine to cut her fellow travelers; a grandma shoulder-checks a passerby; and a man creates a dummy seatmate out of twigs to convince other fliers that his aisle seat has already been snagged."

"The ad is a parody of Southwest's former open boarding policy, which, since the airline's official founding in 1971, allowed passengers to choose their own seats in a system that aimed to reduce the hierarchy of tiered seating. In January 2024, Southwest announced that it would be nixing open seating in favor of a more standard assigned seating system, citing the time pressure involved in the open seating process and a new focus on premium seating options as the main reasons for the change."

"Southwest describes its new spot, "Boarding Royale," as a "self-aware clap-back" at its former boarding policy. And, at surface value, the ad is funny, well-executed, and accurate for anyone who's ever traveled with a nervous flier (or is one). But, taken alongside Southwest's brand moves over the past two years, the ad feels less like a light-hearted self-own, and more like the hypocritical creative output of a brand that's seriously lost the plot."

Southwest Airlines released a Super Bowl spot titled "Boarding Royale" that depicts chaotic, Hunger Games-style boarding in a jungle-themed airport. The spot parodies the airline's former open boarding policy by showing passengers rushing to claim seats with exaggerated behaviors. Southwest announced in January 2024 that it would end open seating and adopt a standard assigned seating system, citing time pressure and a new focus on premium seating; assigned seating rolled out on January 27. The ad was created by agency GSD&M and described as a "self-aware clap-back." The creative received both amusement and criticism for perceived brand inconsistency.

Read at Fast Company