EXPERT COLUMN
you can hardly miss the big Delta billboards plastered around the city , some of which have stood at the same locations for decades . Even when the billboards themselves change , the trend of Delta ’ s presence is evident throughout history .
Montreal ’ s hometown airline , Air Canada , has received awards in multiple years as one of the city ’ s top employers ( more than 10,000 employees ) and for being a significant contributor to the city ’ s economic successes . Across the Atlantic , Lufthansa reported in 2018 it was the largest employer in Frankfurt and across the federal state of Hesse , with over 38,000 employees . These are just a few examples , but imagine these employees driving past the huge billboards of their respective airlines on their way to work and instinctively registering that feeling of pride for working for a substantial outfit in their hometown .
Case in point : Southwest Airlines turns these insights into practice by having several billboards , including one providing travel destination ideas just as you near its home airport of Dallas Love Field .
Other airlines also advertise in their home cities : JetBlue in New York and Azul Brazilian Airlines with its unique combination of a billboard and a nearly 43ft , 1,700lb Embraer 195 replica positioned on the Castello Branco highway in its home , the São Paulo suburb of Barueri .
SHOWCASING BRAND PERSONALITY
Airlines also use billboards and other types of OOH media to showcase their brand personality and identity with specific local populations and wider audiences who appreciate the personalization of advertisements . Another of British Airways ’ recent campaigns —‘ A British Original ’— is a good example of this , having put a fun
spin on the age-old travel question of ‘ Business or Leisure ?’ by including a number of humorous third choices with which British locals can identify ( for example , the local weather ) while engaging a wider population through generalized cheeky options .
In a slightly different personalityexpressing twist , Alaska and Virgin America developed advertisements that display their optimism around their merger . This helped convey their attitudes and determination to turn their ‘ unlikely combo ’ into something magnificent .
Airlines from other parts of the world also like to show off their playful brand personalities with outdoor signage : these include Air Asia , with their Brisbane , Australia , advertisement to Phuket , and IndiGo ’ s ‘ same day return ’ ad campaign with a cheeky twist .
CALLING OUT THE COMPETITION
While some airlines can remain neutral in their OOH advertising , others choose to get straight to the point and call out the competition . United ’ s Denver campaign included physical banners , billboards , and a variety of other OOH and digital advertising media aimed at cementing itself as that city ’ s airline . This served the dual purpose of highlighting the carrier ’ s commitment to the local population through its continued operations , and also calling out Southwest , which had been making similar claims until United surpassed them in numbers of passengers flown into and out of Denver .
One interesting case study by OAAA — covering United Airlines ’ 2018- 2019 OOH NYC area campaign aimed at enticing people to fly from Newark airport , instead of other NY area airports — also highlighted this type of advertising . Rather than calling out other airlines , United called out the competition of other airports in the NY area to shed light on the appeal and proximity of its Newark hub . The study suggested that United had spent about 25 % of its total media / advertising budget on OOH at the time .
THE DOWNSIDES OF BILLBOARDS
Of course , outdoor advertising does have some downsides . Some lobby against them as they see them as a form of pollution of the natural
18 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2024 www . airwaysmag . com