Southwest Airlines’ mission is to connect people to what’s important in their lives, creating memorable experiences that surprise and delight. Music has that effect on people.

So would an in-flight concert at 35,000 feet featuring one of the world’s hottest bands, within days of their eagerly anticipated album debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200.

Since Imagine Dragons wanted to celebrate this new album with super fans in the cities that factored in their early success, Southwest created the “Destination Dragons” tour.

Southwest spread the love via a national sweepstakes, 20 local market radio promotions, geo-targeted Scavenger Hunts via Twitter, VIP receptions/meet-and-greets with co-branded swag, a dedicated microsite, heavy social activity, major media partnerships, and PR. It also used its owned properties: In A Nutshell newsletter sent to 10 million customers, in-flight magazine, video and music streaming channels, boarding passes, signage and more to heavily promote both the tour and “Smoke+Mirrors.”

Southwest wanted to build brand affinity and awareness among adults 18-54. It also wanted to raise awareness of its L.A. and Atlanta routes, Delta has long dominated the latter.

The team strove to deliver a fully integrated, highly memorable program that infused cool. Strategically, music would be the great unifier.

Southwest already had a music property with relatively low awareness: “Live at 35” featured emerging artists performing in-flight. The big idea was to launch the program into the stratosphere by creating a concert series with the white-hot Imagine Dragons, just as their eagerly awaited new album was set to debut.

Southwest exceeded every brand affinity and awareness measure it had set, nationally and in all 20 priority markets.

The National Flyaway Sweepstakes spurred a phenomenal 73,000+ entries in 13 days, up to seven times the number a typical Southwest sweeps delivers.

Billboard and Rolling Stone tie-ins garnered more than 1.5 million impressions courtesy of home-page takeovers, digital banners and editorial.

Twenty local market radio promotions further amped up awareness.

With 6,301 related Tweets and Facebook and Instagram posts, excitement throughout the tour skyrocketed, generating 103 million+ social media impressions.

Press, including the country’s #1 morning show and daytime talkshow, widely covered the tour and album launch. Comparable media value topped $5.2 million. Total media impressions? ONE BILLION+.

By partnering with Imagine Dragons, Southwest became part of a pop culture phenomenon. When “Smoke + Mirrors” launched in the midst of “Destination Dragons” frenzy, it shot to #1 on the Billboard 200.

Southwest’s mission: connect people with passions. Music creates loyalty/impassioned brand advocates, is Imagine Dragons’ reason for being, and is deeply relevant to both brands.

Via Destination Dragons tour, Southwest transported band’s greatest fans to intimate concerts in four cities and hosted a concert at 35,000 feet, while promoting hotly anticipated new album.

- Tour/National Flyaway Sweepstakes announced via Billboard exclusive/PR Newswire/Reuter’s billboard in Times Square (1/26)

- Digital newsletter to 10 million customers (2/7)

- Sweepstakes begins; www.destinationdragons.com launches. Homepage takeovers/digital banners on Billboard.com and RollingStone.com drive traffic (2/3)

- Sweepstakes ends: 73,000+ entries (2/16)

- 20 local radio promotions run with DJ callouts/heavy social support

- “Smoke+Mirrors” debuts at #1. “Good Morning America” touts tour. Album streams on airline’s wi-fi portal. Boarding passes promote album (2/17)

- Concerts in four cities and in-flight, meet-and-greets, VIP suites, branded swag, Twitter Scavenger Hunts. Video re-caps/photos/editorial socialized via #DestinationDragons (2/20-25)

- Feature in Southwest’s Magazine; 20-minute on-board video (March)