Timbers, Alaska Airlines Announce Winners of 'Paint-The-Plane' Contest

PORTLAND, Ore., March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Portland Timbers and Alaska Airlines today announced a winner's tie in their "Paint-The-Plane" contest. Elements of the two first-place designs created by Paul Wright, of Portland, and John Bode of San Mateo, Calif., will be combined into a final design that will adorn an Alaska Airlines 737-700 jet and fly through most of the carrier's network.

Wright, who was born and raised in Portland, used the Timbers jersey as the inspiration for his design, which features the team's name across the fuselage overlaid against a subtle soccer ball screen. The tail boasts the team's signature chevron and ax.  

"My entry has strong design elements as well as very subtle touches," said Wright, a graphic designer and owner of WrightSideUpDesign. "The Timbers' logo is such a powerful, iconic symbol; the ax says it all. I wanted to make that a focal point on the plane."

Bode is a passionate soccer fan and remembers attending matches during the years of the original North American Soccer League as a child with his father in San Jose, Calif. He appreciates the spirit of Rose City soccer fans and has been a follower of all "Left Coast" soccer teams for more than three decades. His winning artwork combines the team's trademark colors with a rising sun across the forward part of the fuselage.

"I wanted to create a bold design that would be instantly recognizable as representing the Timbers to both fans and soon-to-be-fans alike," said Bode, a science technician for a global manufacturing company. "This bold design is something that people can identify from the ground, when flying into airports or when the plane is parked on a tarmac."

Bode said he felt a responsibility to the Timbers' loyal and spirited fans and chose to honor them with the rising sun, a symbol traditionally associated with Timbers fans.

The artwork by Wright and Bode was among about 500 designs submitted by fans across the country. The winning artwork was selected by representatives from Alaska Airlines and the Portland Timbers. In addition to the first-place winners, Lee Zeman, of Portland, was named runner-up and seven other submissions were named honorable mentions.

Besides having their designs featured on a plane, Bode and Wright will each receive the grand-prize package, which includes two first-class tickets on Alaska Airlines, two club seats to the Timbers' home opener on April 14 and a team-autographed jersey.

The final design of the Timbers-themed airplane will be unveiled during a special event at Portland International Airport in early May and immediately enter regular service to all cities currently served by Alaska Airlines with a 737-700.

Note to news media: High-resolution still images of the two first-place designs are available for download from the Alaska Airlines Newsroom image gallery at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom. To view the three winning designs and honorable mentions, visit www.portlandtimbers.com.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air together offer more nonstop flights (serving 27 different destinations), more daily flights (90 a day) and more California service (39 flights daily to 12 California destinations) from Portland International Airport than any other carrier. Customers can learn more at www.alaskaair.com/pdx .

About the Portland Timbers

On March 20, 2009, Major League Soccer (MLS) awarded Portland the league's 18th franchise to begin play in the top-flight professional soccer league starting in 2011. The Portland Timbers will mark their debut MLS season in 2011 in a significantly renovated JELD-WEN Field that will create one of the most unique and authentic soccer environments in the country. New stadium amenities will include better sightlines closer to the action, new premium seating on the east side of the field, a new KeyBank Club, an expansive Widmer Brothers bar area and a team store. The Timbers have been a beloved part of the Portland sports landscape since their early beginnings in the North American Soccer League in 1975, launching the era of "Soccer City USA" in the Rose City.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008, 2009 and 2010 North America Airline Satisfaction Studies (SM). For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines