Chicago Food Favourite Mr. Beef Introduces Southwest Airlines New Menu

Following the recent launch of Southwest’s latest 'That’s a Big Flex' campaign, the airline teamed up with iconic Chicago restaurant Mr. Beef to bring a new menu item to lunchgoers for one day only, The Southwest Combo.

The Chicago-based activation offered customers who ordered the Southwest Combo a surprise of 10,000 Rapid Rewards Points courtesy of the brand for their next Southwest flight (yes, completely free travel points!). 

For those who might not have had the pleasure of trying one before, the Italian Beef sandwich is a Chicago staple that most people can’t find anywhere else.

The activation was created by the long time Agency of Record, GSD&M and ArtClass, and took place in parallel with the new campaign that features the restaurant in a few of their spots. The new campaign features a series of spots on both social and OLV and highlights what's most important to Southwest Customers - choice and flexibility.

The campaign is a continuation of the brand’s national 'That’s a Big Flex' campaign launched in April that reminds consumers that Southwest Airlines has “flexible and Customer-friendly points of difference, including two bags fly free, no change or cancellation fees, flight credits that don't expire, and points that don't expire.”

The campaign spans across social (Meta, TikTok), OOH, OLV, Uber and an on-the-ground activation.

Director Ryan Ebner says of the campaign, “Real Chicagoans are charming folks who aren’t afraid to let their Midwestern nice freak flag fly a bit. They exude the confidence to flex with the self-awareness that comes from unbridled positivity. They embody the optimism we only experience when everything is going our way - this was naturally the perfect framing for the flexibility every traveller gets when they fly Southwest. Celebrating these ordinary wins is baked into the Chicagoan sparkle we put at the centre of these spots.”

“We’ve been helping Chicagoans fly for nearly 40 years; the city is important to the Southwest network,” noted Julia Melle, Southwest Airlines director of brand and content. “Given our history here, we wanted to show up like a local, have some fun with some of the quirks and characteristics of the city, and remind Chicagoans that Southwest offers the most freedom and flexibility to fly whether out of O’Hare or Midway.”

“For the campaign, we leaned into the city of Chicago and some of its unique traits, passion points, and notable landmarks as insight and inspiration,” said Bill Bayne, group creative director, GSD&M. “We treated the city like a character in all the scripts and made sure we delivered real Chicago performances to make sure we showed up authentically.”