SEATTLE, WASH. - Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) and Seattle Sounders FC are teaming-up to unite Seattle and celebrate Delta's support of the city through one of soccer's most storied traditions - a tifo display.
"The Fabric of Sounders FC" is a tifo collaboration under the creative direction of Stefan Frei, the team's goalkeeper who is also a talented artist. The tifo phenomenon runs deep in soccer culture and for Sounders FC fans, giving the community the opportunity to support the team through the creation of a large banner.
Developed over the course of the season, Delta, Sounders FC and its fans are creating a multi-piece banner, approximately 200 feet long and 75 feet wide, with each piece of fabric having its own unique design and telling a different story about Delta's support of Seattle and the city's love for Sounders FC. The completed tifo will be unfurled on top of the East Delta Sky360 Club at CenturyLink Field on September 28 at the Sounders FC home match against Chicago.
"Teaming-up with Delta for the Fabric of Sounders FC project is awesome because a sense of community is such a huge part of what makes the Sounders special," said Frei. "Whether it's people who are into art or people who are just fans of the Sounders - for art to be the medium that brings everyone together to support the club is huge."
Frei is lending his creative vision to the project, helping with the overall design philosophy and serving as program ambassador throughout the season. The first piece of the tifo is being created at an event at the Sounders FC training facility in Tukwila on May 18. Select fans, Voyager Middle School art students, Sounders FC Alliance members, Delta leaders and Sounders FC leaders are joining Frei for the creation of the first piece.
Sixty fans have the unprecedented experience of designing the final piece of the banner at 30,000 feet on a Delta charter fan flight just for Sounders FC fans to Portland for the team's August 28 away match. Fans can sign-up from May 16 to July 17 to win two seats on the private fan flight and tickets to the match by visiting a dedicated "The Fabric of Sounders FC" site and registering to become a Delta SkyMiles® member or by entering their existing SkyMiles account information.
Throughout the campaign, fans will be able to visit "The Fabric of Sounders FC" site that will serve as an all-access destination to follow along in the design process as Frei's vision comes to life.
"As Seattle's global airline, we're in the business of uniting people," said Mike Medeiros, Delta's Vice President - Seattle. "With more than 3,000 Seattle-area employees, our support for Sounders FC runs deep - this time, we're taking it to the turf with a tifo display that will unite Sounders FC fans and celebrate Delta's commitment to the city."
Over the course of the season, local community groups, Delta employees and Sounders FC fans can take part in the making of the additional banner pieces and help share the story of how Delta is stitching together the city of Seattle through their love of Sounders FC. Events are taking place at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, CenturyLink Field, through social media and at various locations throughout the city.
"The Fabric of Sounders FC" is an extension of the airline's You Can't Stop Seattle brand campaign, which reveres Seattleites for their ideas and ambition and celebrates the growth and momentum of the city while telling the story of how Delta helps fuel Seattle's pursuits. It celebrates Delta's relationships with the city's beloved, local teams -- including Sounders FC - as well as its support of community organizations close to the hearts of Delta people. You Can't Stop Seattle represents Delta's significant investments in Seattle, which have driven changes across the competitive landscape - from product enhancements, to facility improvements, to financial benefits and community investment.
