Out, damned white space!
First came advertisements on barf bags. Then it was the fold-down trays. Now even the white spaces on the boarding passes have been surrendered to advertising. (Thanks to A Clear Eye For Branding’s Tom Asacker for forwarding this one.) According to Advertising Age, six major airlines have opted to use the empty space on travelers tickets for “targeted coupons, ads, dining recommendations and weather information.” The story also points out that ads have made their way onto overhead bins, ticket jackets, and baggage carousels. Anything they’re missing? I’m thinking attendants’ foreheads are next… Not out of the question, at least. Even an odorless cabin is considered a white space; Singapore Airlines has patented an official scent that is infused into its hot towels and given to its all-female corps of attendants to wear as perfume.
Andrea Learned, of Learned on Women, offers an intriguing alternative to filling every last millimeter of white space with ads. Click here to read her piece on the Huffington Post.
Copyright Lucas Conley 2008
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:39 pm
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Picture-perfect example
August 5th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I enjoyed your interview on the Colbert Report last night and figured I’d check out your blog.
I actually just went away for a week of vacation and, lo and behold, my US Airways tray tables had advertisements covering them to promote a new TV show.
Oh well, maybe the advertising revenue will allow the airlines to give back some of what they’ve had to cut back on - meals, peanuts, drinks, blankets, free checked bags, etc.