Southwest reveals plane for Shark Week, sharks unimpressed
It's almost that time of year again. Shark Week, the completely annual programming ritual from the Discovery Channel, begins June 26.
Southwest Airlines is getting in on the hot shark action with a new livery featuring — wait for it — sharks.
Except the sharks on the plane resemble rather tame creatures, not the sharp-teethed Great Whites that tend to be emphasized during Shark Week programming.
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On Thursday, the airline unveiled the first-ever Shark Week-themed Boeing 737, “proudly displaying the majestic sea life that is widely celebrated by millions during Discovery's Shark Week.”
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“Partnering with Discovery's Shark Week allows Southwest to connect with our customers in a fun and memorable way,” Linda Rutherford, chief communication officer at Southwest, in a statement.
This is the second time the airline has partnered with Discovery. In 2014, Southwest offered shark-themed in-flight entertainment and gave away a vacation where winners swam with sharks.
Now, Southwest does a lot of things right — free bags, many satisfied customers and employees, free ticket changes — but on this, they really dropped the proverbial ball.
A couple sharks near the tail? COME ON.
There is a lot of aircraft real estate to play with here. Why not give the design some teeth?
For a more all-in livery, consider Alaska Air's Salmon Thirty Salmon design (also, the name). Now that is how you realize a plane's full aquatic animal potential.
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Even Southwest's former orca-themed planes — now cast in a somewhat different light after the SeaWorld controversy — were more impressive than the Shark Week jet.
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Love it or feel mildly disappointed by it (can you guess where I land), the new shark-themed livery will fly through Aug. 31, 2016.
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