Hold me closer, tiny flight controller, or, when I think of flying I think about a deaf, dumb, and blind kid who sure can play mean pinball: AdTran Airways brands planes with Elton John’s image to promote their new partnership with XM. More than 20 planes will feature a larger-than-Statute-of-Liberty’s head portrait of Mr. John, not his real name. Pay no attention to the giant, flying, rock star head, ladies and gentleman, and off the left side, you might see Godzilla fighting Mothra.

AirTran Airways launched this bizarre branding campaign—and very nicely contributed $50,000 to the Elton John AIDS Foundation—to promote its airing of 100 XM channels as part of the in-flight entertainment. I say, bravo. The tinny, repetitive, poorly selected music and other entertainment in flights has always seemed a major oversight during the fat days, and now is completely disregarded in lean times. (Alaska has never offered built-in entertainment systems, avoiding any charges of tedious programming.)

Three AirTran planes have XM wired in already, with 20 expected online by February. The rest of the fleet will follow. Will it boost AirTran passenger numbers? Indirectly, very likely. The airlines have to offer some amenities that make people choose one over the other when markets have forced prices to the bare nubbin, and anything that increases a passenger’s happiness with one airline could prompt them to fly that airline in the future.

For XM, it’s more exposure that could easily drive more subscribers. It’s possible that they don’t see this as a revenue deal at all, but as a great bit of flying, captive audience that they can promote XM to through in-flight magazine advertising, seatback cards, and on-air bumps.