Advertising flies at passengers

Airport advertising The advertising alliance of eleven major airports in German-speaking countries aims to create a new, standardized type of advertising. "Airport advertising represents a new, efficient type of marketing for brands and companies," says Jens Hassler. He is co-founder of the new initiative and Head of Advertising, Media and Marketing at Munich Airport. "We offer campaign presence for a target group of around 200 million passengers." In addition to the nine major airports in Germany, Vienna and Zurich also want to join the new advertising community. The marketing managers of the various airports plan to meet in Munich on November 9 for the inaugural meeting. Standardized format makes it possibleThe aim is to offer the national and international advertising market a new type of "airport communication" in the 4/1 format (1.75 m ¥ 3.6 m), the most common throughout Europe. Hassler: "This will make it possible to place advertising campaigns in all major airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland." On average, these reach a target group of up to 20 million passengers per month.
This target group is highly sought-after in communications, as around half of passengers are high-income business travelers. The Munich business traveler, for example, has a monthly net household income of 3650 euros. By comparison, the target group of Managermagazin readers is classified as having a disposable monthly income of 3200 euros.
The aim is to market the new "Airport Connection" as an in-house solution. This means that one contact person in the group will be responsible for offers and bookings. It is not yet clear how many backlit CLP showcases the eleven airports will bring to the joint market.
The decision in favour of the standardized illuminated poster also meant the end of the famous parallelograms in Munich. Invented by German advertising guru Michael Schirner, the slanted billboards, inclined at 64 degrees, caused a sensation at the new Franz Josef Strauss Airport from 1992. "This creative idea has stood the test of time for 14 years," says Marketing Manager Hassler. "But we have to move with the times, and that means format standardization."
Double-digit sales growthThe new "Airport" advertising category gives the terminals at the eleven airports the opportunity to jointly generate new customers and sales. On the other hand, the community does not want to restrict the individual regional offers. Floor graphics, advertising on the baggage carousel and 3D installations are already generating good marketing sales at the airports.
A look at the airports' order books shows just how interesting airport advertising has already become for major international brands in the individual booking process. Frankfurt, for example, generated marketing revenue of around 18 million euros last year. Munich is in second place with around 12 million in advertising revenue.
Exclusive environment and well-off target groups: Frankfurt and Munich (50 and 30 million passengers respectively) lead the new "airport connection". With an annual passenger volume of 17.2 million, Zurich is ahead of Vienna with 14.8 million passengers. The founders of the advertising initiative hope that new, joint marketing will bring the individual members a double-digit percentage increase in turnover.

Lucerne at the Munich Airport AwardWith their campaign
"Travel refreshed" for Coca-Cola, the Lucerne agency Planet Kommunikation und Gestaltung caused a sensation at the Munich Airport Award 2006. The Munich Award honors the best advertising campaigns at airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The winners of the year were chosen on October 26, and the jury received a record total of 147 entries. Airport advertising is playing an increasingly important role not only in Switzerland," says Peter Frey, co-founder and creative director of the Lucerne-based full-service agency Planet. The Lucerne-based agency designed large illuminated panels for its client Coca-Cola at Zurich Airport. According to one of the jury members, the Swiss team came out on top with their "Travel refreshed" campaign. However, they were denied a shortlist or medal place.
For Peter Frey, who co-founded the Planet Kommunikation und Gestaltung agency in 1998, this is no reason for resignation. The agency has enough starting points for "advertising to take off". In addition to the Coca-Cola Group, its clients include Luzerner Kantonalbank, Bucherer and CSS Versicherung.
Peter Ehm