We’ve all missed travel in the past two years, and getting the vaccine gets us one step closer to being able to get away freely again. For this to happen, everyone needs to do their part, even if it means waiting in long car lines to get vaccinated. Southwest came to AMP with an idea. Vaccinations were rolling out to the general public and they wanted to celebrate not only the release of the vaccine effort but also what the vaccine’s meant for “getting back to normal”. Travel was on the horizon and it was cause for celebration. The trouble was, they weren’t sure how best to integrate a celebration into a drive-thru mass vaccination site - not the most “warm” or “friendly” place. They needed something that didn’t interrupt the reason people were there (to get vaccinated) and also brought the Southwest brand to life.
With vaccination sites nationwide full of people showing up to do their part, Southwest wanted to join in on the fun. The whole experience was sure to put smiles on faces, and reminded everyone that Southwest is here, standing by to connect them to the people, places and things they love.
The main goals of this activation were to get the Southwest brand involved in the celebration surrounding getting vaccinated. All while staying relevant and supportive in the community.
AMP planned to infuse this somewhat formulaic process with some Southwest Heart. Enter the Destination: Vaccination an immersive drive-thru sound and sight experience enjoyed from the comfort of one’s car. It was an immersive multimedia tunnel experience designed to remind folks of the wonderful and wild places just waiting to be explored. It was Southwest’s thank you note, celebration monet and love letter all wrapped into a single experience. The tunnel was a big way to celebrate a small victory.
By partnering with a vaccination site, we planned to send Southwest volunteers to welcome visitors and guide them to a one-of-a-kind drive through tunnel experience. The tunnel transported people through sounds, lighting and imagery. Telling a story that inspired travel and made someone’s day, courtesy of Southwest.
The drive-thru tunnel showcased beautiful travel destinations with 10’ screens on both sides playing a reel of humans traveling and celebrating- making those experiencing it feel joy for getting vaccinated. In addition to the tunnel, we also employed volunteers to stand with motivational signs like “You’re a rockstar” “We Luv you” “Mile High Heart” and “Thanks for doing your part” to cheer the audience as they drove by.
At the end of the experience, our guests saw signage that encouraged them to share their pictures on social media and to encourage their friends and family to get vaccinated and join in the fun.
Our main goals were to: keep it simple, touchless, moving, and interesting. We planned for one location, and had 3 weeks from ideation to launch in Denver. To motivate the audience further, Southwest gave away 5,000 Rapid Reward Points to each individual that got vaccinated.
AMP’s team had a total of 3 weeks to put this experience together, from the ideation phase to the launch, and the primary goal was to get the Southwest brand involved with the celebration of getting vaccinated. The activation was live for a total of 7 days, and the site had between 900-1000 visitors per day. There were a total of 48 million rapid rewards given to over 9,000 people, and the activation was noticed and published as an article on reputable publication sites like PRNewswire.
Ultimately, this experience was created more for the Southwest brand to show their support for getting vaccinated, and join in on the fun at an actual vaccination site where the atmosphere is usually tense and dry. It also allowed the Southwest brand to stay in front of audiences' eyes when they start traveling after getting vaccinated, so it did spread brand awareness as well.
