The other evening, as I dozed off on the couch, I began dreaming with the commercials on the television as the sounds guided my imagination to other worlds. Suddenly, I had a rush of anxiety and I shot awake sitting upright with the adrenaline on full throttle. I grabbed for the seat-belt only to realize that I wasn't experiencing a turbulent flight but rather only hearing the Southwest DING! commercial.
How was it that a commercial, designed to teach customers to associate the airplane *ding* with Southwest, could have invoked such a strong reaction in me, as though I were really 30,000 feet above the ground and full of that irrational anxiety that creates morbid, nose-dive, life-ending scenarios?
In Feburary 2005, GSD&M launched Southwest's DING! marketing campaign, which cleverly brands the airplane buckle-your-seat belts *Ding* with the airline. The DING! is now becoming even more strongly associated with Southwest's internet presence and services, which provide up-to-the-minute flight specials and opportunities. I even laugh now every time I see that guy jump over the cubicle just to see the important message from Southwest, despite my panic stricken moment. Ingenious or marketing faux-pas?
We all know how difficult it is to create a simple sound that carries enough weight to achieve brand recognition. NBC, the Olympic Fanfare and Monday Night Football are but a few popular well-known examples. Branding the airplane *ding* provocatively puts Southwest again ahead of the competition by taking a sound ubiquitous to all airplanes and associating it with Southwest. When you hear the *ding* on a competitor's flight, the marketers want you to think of Southwest and unconsciously wonder why you not flying them.
How does this campaign, though, respond to the irrational fears that many people experience when they are on the ground thinking about their next possible flight? This documented condition has airlines providing classes to help their customers overcome and live productively with their fear, and of course, to fly their friendly skies. I know that I'm not the only one who sweats and responds to every bump and noise change while I'm in the air. And that *Ding* is enough to get me in a cold sweat, even if I'm dozing safely in my home on my couch.
The work then of this campaign, for many, is reverse association. Many of us have learned early what that sound means: *ding* -- "Oh s***. we might die." -- and to undo that association and reform another is the dedicated work of a trained psychologist, not a 30-second television spot. Perhaps I'm more sensitive than others. I hope, though, that GSD&M did their research to weigh the pros and cons of this obviously expensive project.
Lucky for Southwest, despite this possible issue, they have an excellent flight record and their customer service and efficiency far surpass their nearest competitor. A friendly, happy staff on the plane, that jokes around in the irrational face of being entirely at the mercy of a machine and its pilots, often is enough to make the experience somewhat more bearable.