THE CHALLENGE: Launching an airline isn’t something you get a chance to do every day. It hadn’t been done in Oregon in 35 years. Up against I-5, well-established Horizon/Alaska, SeaPort turned to Coates Kokes advertising and public relations for help.

THE APPROACH: The unpopularity of airlines is no secret. In fact, I-5 became a reasonable alternative thanks to the hassles. That’s baggage we wanted left behind. Instead, we decided to come out of the gates as a new, smarter option in travel. And because SeaPort could get travelers downtown to downtown at least 90 minutes faster, speed was an obvious selling point. With those things in mind, our goals were to develop an appropriate brand tone, look and feel, generate quick-growing awareness, establish credibility and instill confidence.

THE WORK: First, SeaPort (not to mention the planes) needed a logo. Along with it, we paired a spirited tagline capturing SeaPort’s speed and efficiency: “Hit the sky running.” Next we developed a dramatic and engaging illustration-driven look that was bold, new and not Horizon. In addition to bringing the campaign to life in print, radio and outdoor venues, we employed an aggressive media relations effort to emphasize our message and add the third-party cred of the press. Additionally, we convinced SeaPort to offset their carbon emissions, making them the first airline in the nation to go carbon neutral.

THE RESULTS: In the wake of a down economy and soaring jet fuel prices, SeaPort dramatically exceeded first-month projections. In just the first two months, our public relations efforts produced xxxxx of dollars worth of coverage. To date, SeaPort continues to meet or exceed monthly estimates and has already increased flights and is looking into adding planes.