Case Study: Custom Christmas Sweaters for Alaska Airlines
Client: Alaska Airlines
Project: Custom Christmas Sweaters
Quantity: 5000 units
Overview:
Alaska Airlines asked Roody to create an amazing custom Christmas sweater to use for PR over the holiday period and to give as gifts to passengers.
Francis Tan
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a major U.S. airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, near Seattle. Founded in 1932 as McGee Airways, it adopted the name Alaska Airlines in 1944 and has since grown into one of the largest carriers in North America.
In 2016, Alaska Airlines acquired Virgin America, expanding its presence in California and enhancing its transcontinental routes. More recently, in December 2023, the airline announced plans to acquire Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion, aiming to broaden its reach into Asia and the Pacific region. Despite challenges in early 2024, including the temporary grounding of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet, Alaska Airlines reported record annual revenue of $11.7 billion. The airline has also announced plans to expand its Seattle hub into a global gateway, introducing new nonstop services to Tokyo and Seoul. Alaska Airlines is recognized for its customer service, consistently ranking highly in satisfaction surveys. Its Mileage Plan loyalty program is noted for its generous rewards and partnerships with other airlines.
The Project
Alaska Airlines wanted to thank their customers for choosing them to travel with and they wanted to make sure the gift was an amazing one! That’s why they opted for a custom Christmas sweater. They also wanted to use them for PR and to get people talking about Alaska Airlines.
The Making of the Sweater
The sweater was a fully custom sweater- from the design to the finish. The design incorporated symbols and icons associated with the company and the logo on the back. The main pattern all over the sweater included snowflakes so it would have that “ugly” sweater feel and the yarn was custom made to match their brand colors. The collars, cuffs and hems were reinforced to give it a premium feel and finish.
The Result
Alaska Airlines made making a custom Christmas sweater an annual tradition due to the success of the campaign. Passengers were told they would get priority boarding if they wore an ugly sweater on their flight and they all received a gift of a custom Christmas sweater on board. The campaign took off across different social media channels with gifs and hashtags being shared. Passengers also shared their own social media posts of their amazing gifts and Alaska Airlines staff wore some sweaters at the airport. It added great festive cheer to the airport and to the people using Alaska Airlines.
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