EXPERT COLUMN What Is It with Airline Billboards ? landscape . Billboards , for instance , are not allowed within the city limits of Sao Paulo , Brazil . This stems from the ‘ Clean City Law ’ implemented in the city in 2007 , which forced the removal of 15,000 billboards in the first year it was in effect . Since then , other cities such as Chennai , India , and Grenoble , France , have also banned billboards and other outdoor advertising types . Looking at the US , four states prohibit billboards outright ( Alaska , Hawaii , Vermont , and Maine ), while some larger cities and many smaller communities have started to prohibit the construction of new ones .
Marketers also need to consider the mindsets of those who see their advertisements , as the context in which individuals see an ad may influence their acceptance of it . One of the reasons for movie theater advertisements being among the most expensive is not only the captive nature of their target audiences , but the fact that people are generally in a good mood when they go to the movies . Meanwhile , commuters on busy thoroughfares getting a prolonged look at airline billboards may not be in such a good mood if the reason for such opportunity is that they are stuck in unexpected traffic .
Despite the drawbacks , the airlines ’ penchant for billboards has been around for as long as they have been themselves and , as British Airways ’ recent marketing campaign underscores , this trend in not likely to run out of steam any time soon .
ICONIC OUTDOOR ADS
Outdoor promotions can even become landmarks of sorts — a part of the daily lexicon of locals . As a final round of examples , we will leave you with a few of the most iconic airline outdoor promotions from around the globe .
By far , one of the most iconic outdoor advertisements came in the form of a 1998 Swiss Air campaign crafted by a German company in a 10-hectare ( 24.7- acre ) field near München airport . The creativity , thought , and planning that made this possible certainly caused it to become one of the most unique advertising endeavors in recent history .
Iconic for its incorporation of innovative tech to engage passersby , British Airways ’ 2013 ‘ Look Up ’ campaign used flight tracking technology to point out the flights passing above digital billboards placed in London ’ s Piccadilly Circus and Chiswick . This became a novel way for locals and tourists alike to plane-spot in popular areas of London :
Last , since 1958 — the dawn of the Jet Age — this refurbished retro-looking sign has graced the top of Delta ’ s massive technical operations center just off the runway at Atlanta ’ s Hartsfield International Airport . It has become a landmark for the busiest airport in the world and a symbol of the long-standing relationship between Delta and the city of Atlanta — both helping each other to grow and prosper over the years .
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