Alaska Airlines Continues Sports Push, Extends For Five Years With Seahawks' Russell Wilson

Alaska Airlines and Seahawks QB Russell Wilson today extended their partnership for another five years. The airline today is debuting three new ads starring Wilson that will air on TV for the first time during Sunday's Seahawks-Rams game on Fox. The spots take a comical tone and feature employees from Alaska Airlines and subsidiary Horizon Air. The theme of the ads -- which are titled "Canoe," "Wood Carving" and "Drum Circle" -- is "Alaska Airlines Company Retreat," which is based on a camp where employees are motivated by Wilson. The five-year renewal with Wilson also includes discounted travel to Seahawks' away games this season, as well as support for two of Wilson's charitable endeavors -- Strong Against Cancer and the Russell Wilson Passing Academy. Also being extended is the promotion whereby Alaska Airlines grants early boarding on all Seattle-departing flights for customers wearing Wilson's No. 3 jersey beginning Sunday (Alaska Airlines).

WHEELS-UP TIME: In Atlanta, Hudson & Wilhelm note Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines have "stepped up their sports competition" recently, "reflecting their competition at the airport gates." Delta recently extended with the Sounders, while Alaska inked naming rights to the Univ. of Washington's football stadium. Both deals are "partly efforts to catch the notice of passengers, and to gain credibility as home town airlines as they fight for market share in the Northwest." Alaska Airlines is "ahead in the region in terms of numbers of professional sponsorships" -- deals which include the Mariners, WNBA Storm and NWSL Thorns. But Delta has the Seahawks, which has "proved to be the highest-profile catch of all." Delta also is "winning on the national level" among college deals. Alaska Airlines' college deals in the Northwest include Washington State, Oregon State, Oregon, BYU, Gonzaga and Boise State, among others (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/4).