advertising and other stuff. no, really.



Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Baggage claimvertising.

Don’t play dumb, you knew it was coming: Baggage carousel advertising. (Can toilet stall ads be far behind?) Perfect for brands trying to capitalize on the good mood most travelers are in after a carefree flight. Although the release says it’s a new advertising medium, I beg to differ. Like the lost tribe that remains undiscovered, some advertising mediums should be left untouched by man. Maybe because...

End of long trip..>..Made longer as his and her wearing tourist couple saunters off plane in front of me..>..Walk 1/2 mile to baggage claim past waiting and legit—I’m sure—airport taxi ‘services’..>..Wait minimum 15 minutes for conveyor to start..>..Universal sound of submarine ‘DIVE’ siren, but then wait another five for bags to even start appearing..>..Rambo 1,000 yard stare now focused on the end of conveyor belt searching for bags..>..Bags pass—not mine of course—but, mocking me nonetheless with their victory lap as if to say: “Yeah, I have an owner picking me up, bitch.”..>..Staring now at spot in front of me wondering why I keep choosing this airline..>..Oh look, your brand’s FUCKING LOGO for the 10th time..>..His and her luggage goes by—why not,why shouldn’t they leave before me..>..I now wonder if bags went into luggage relocation program..>..Finally, bag in sight.

So by all means,
let me build a positive association in my head of your product and that experience. Unless of course it’s Excedrin.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

maybe i'm being slow on the uptake and missing the joke, but toilet stall ads have been in use in Australia for quite some time...

Anonymous said...

I have to confess I haven't spent much time in airport stalls, but the time I did, didn’t see any. Probably should forward this to Sen. Larry Craig’s email though.

funambulator said...

Here in Louisville, KY, there have been bathroom stall ads in bars & restaurants for a couple years. It's another case of questionable association: Do companies really want people to equate their product with the smells & sounds of a public restroom? My guess is no, since they are mostly ads for the company itself - how great it is to advertise in bathrooms and how fun a career it is to sell bathroom advertising.

I don't think they're in the airport bathrooms, though.