Southwest Airlines Partners with Wattpad to Elevate and Celebrate Creative New Voices with the Storytellers on the Rise Writing Contest

Southwest: Storytellers On The Rise contest calls upon the next generation of writers to celebrate what has been at the Heart of Southwest for 50 years: kindness 

DALLAS—Feb. 3, 2021—Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) continues to mark its 50th Anniversary year by coming together with Wattpad, the global multi-platform entertainment company for original stories and leading social storytelling platform, for the Southwest: Storytellers On The Rise Writing Contest, which celebrates what’s been at the Heart of the carrier’s values since its founding: kindness. This contest calls upon aspiring and avid writers to share fiction or nonfiction stories of kindness rooted in travel.  

“As we look back on 50 years, we remember and celebrate the powerful stories that make up our rich history,” said Brandy King, Director of External Communication which includes Brand Partnerships and Entertainment Public Relations initiatives. “Kindness and civility are core Southwest Values, and through this partnership, we’re excited to see how the Wattpad community of writers brings these attributes to life in their story submissions.”

“At Wattpad, we’re inspired every day by the powerful, transformative stories published on our platform,” said Chris Stefanyk, Head of Brand Partnerships at Wattpad. “We are thrilled to partner with Southwest to elevate new voices in storytelling and help writers take their writing skills and career to the next level.” 

Now through Feb. 28, 2021, U.S.-based writers can submit short stories via the Southwest profile on Wattpad for a chance to win the writing contest*. The winning author will receive a once-in-a-lifetime writing mentorship opportunity with Beth Reekles, the author behind the global YA sensation and film franchise The Kissing Booth from Netflix and Komixx Entertainment, alongside additional prizes to help their writing career take off. The winning story will be showcased on Southwest channels later this year.  

"I’m really excited to be working on this campaign with Southwest and Wattpad. I think we’re all craving a little escapism right now, and books are a great way to do that.” said Reekles. “I’ve always loved the sense of community that Wattpad and its stories create, and look forward to working with the winner to help encourage them on their writing journey.”

As home to one of the most diverse groups of storytellers on the planet, with five million writers and a community of 90 million readers, Wattpad is the home for Gen Z writers. 

The campaign expands Southwest’s existing On The Rise platform, which currently supports up-and-coming musicians, to a broad spectrum of rising creatives including filmmakers, writers, producers, and authors. With a Purpose to connect People to what is important in their lives, Southwest hopes to uncover some of the most powerful stories of transformative human kindness and bring them to life for travelers around the world. 

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*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Open to legal residents of 50 United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Alaska) age 19 or older at time of entry. Void where prohibited. Eligible entrants may enter as many times as they wish (with valid, unique, and original Entries) during the Entry Period of Jan. 4-Feb 28, 2021. All fields must be completed. Approximate retail value of prize: $4,500. For complete details and Official Rules, visit https://www.wattpad.com/997496578-southwest-storytellers-on-the-rise-writing-contest Click here to enter text.. By submitting this entry, you agree to the Official Rules. By entering, information collected will be used in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy at https://policies.wattpad.com/terms. Sponsor: Wattpad Corp., 36 Wellington St. E, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C7. Enter by 11:59:59 p.m. PT on Feb. 28, 2021.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 50th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by nearly 56,000 Employees to a Customer base that topped 130 million passengers in 2019. Southwest has a robust network of point-to-point service with a strong presence in top leisure and business markets.In peak travel seasons during 2019, Southwest operated more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. In 2020, the carrier added service to Hilo, Hawaii; Cozumel, Mexico; Miami;Palm Springs, Calif., Steamboat Springs, and Montrose (Telluride), Colo. Southwest will begin service to both Chicago (O’Hare) and Sarasota/Bradenton on Feb. 14; both Savannah/Hilton Head and Colorado Springs on March 11; both Houston (Bush) and Santa Barbara, Calif., on April 12; Fresno, Calif., On April 25; and Jackson, Miss., on June 6. 

The carrier issued its Southwest® Promise in May 2020 to highlight new and round-the-clock efforts to support its Customers and Employees wellbeing and comfort. Among the changes are enhanced cleaning efforts at airports and onboard aircraft, and face covering requirements for Customers and Employees. Additional details about the Southwest Promise are available at Southwest.com/Promise. 

Southwest coined Transfarency® to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free® to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and  weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances). Southwest does not charge change fees, though fare differences might apply.

Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line

approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the carrier gives back to communities across the world by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship.

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

ABOUT WATTPAD

Wattpad’s vision is to entertain and connect the world through stories. Wattpad’s flagship app is a leading social storytelling platform, home to a community of more than 90 million people who spend over 23 billion minutes a month engaged in original stories. Wattpad’s Story DNA Machine Learning technology allows the company to discover stand-out stories among more than one billion uploads written on the platform. Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and Wattpad Books are transforming entertainment and publishing, using data-backed insights to turn Wattpad stories into books, films and TV shows. Wattpad Brand Partnerships help brands build deep engagement with Gen Z consumers. The company is proudly based in Toronto, Canada. Learn more at company.wattpad.com.