Virgin Airlines — and its cheeky founder Richard Branson — have always been right behind supporting right-on causes.  Which is why it’s not so surprising that his Australian airline division — The Virgin Blue Group — has become the lead supporter of Sydney’s annual fun-fest, Mardi Gras.

The move makes Virgin Blue the official airline of the super-homo event — which takes place every February and lures literally millions of folks to Sydney’s Gay district around Oxford Street.

The partnership sees Branson’s Virgin Blue’s three main airlines sponsoring the event — V Australia (which flies from Australia to the USA, South Africa and Asia) and then sister carriers Virgin Blue and Pacific Blue, which fly between Australia and the southern Pacific region.

While US-based cheap carrier Virgin America is not directly involved, its routes serve Los Angeles — linking it directly to V Australia LAX flights ferrying passengers straight on to Sydney and all the Mardi Gras fun.

As you can see from the ad above (from 2007), Virgin has for years aligned itself with the Mardi Gras festivities — which this new partnership will help solidify. Here’s hoping this new meeting of the marketing minds will result in far more clever promo — such as THIS one from back in 2004.