Kevin Smith’s Twitter Carries Too Much Weight For Southwest Air

Posted Tuesday 16th February 2010 by Ben J in Social Media.

If anyone in Hollywood knows how to leverage social media for their own nefarious ends, it’s indie supremo Kevin Smith. The writer/ director behind hits such as Clerks, Mallrats, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back and most recently Zack & Miri Make a Porno has over 1.6 million followers on Twitter and used the platform to express his displeasure at being ejected from a Southwest Airlines flight for being ‘too fat’.

The event, dubbed ‘Fatgate’ by the Twitterverse, began when Smith was removed from a Southwest Air flight under the pretext of his size being a safety risk to other passengers. Smith launched the first salvo in the Twitter war minutes later by saying “I broke no regulation, offered no ’safety risk’ (what was I gonna roll on a fellow passenger?)”, and followed it up with a number of other posts on the subject such as ‘Wanna tell me I’m too wide for the sky? Totally cool. But fair warning, folks: IF YOU LOOK LIKE ME, YOU MAY BE EJECTED FROM @SOUTHWESTAIR’ and ‘Dear @SouthwestAir – I know I’m fat, but was Captain Leysath really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?’

Southwest Air, who also boast over a million Twitter followers responded swiftly and Smith was on another flight less than an hour later. He posted a picture of himself on the plane with the caption “Hey @SouthwestAir! Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off!”

Southwest Air’s response was swift and diplomatic through both Twitter and their own blog where they attempted to resolve the issue, but this whole incident has clearly highlighted the damage social media can bring to a brand. More than ever, it seems that having professionals running your company’s social media presence is essential to brand protection.

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