AirTran Airways is outfitting all of the 138 jets in its mainline, all-Boeing fleet with seat-back advertising.
By early December, every seat in every AirTran mainline jet will be outfitted with a 2.5-by-9-inch, easily changeable, full-color advertisement. Mother Nature Network is AirTran’s first advertising partner, offering a chance to win a seven-night, deluxe cruise onboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas.
“We are pleased to be able to offer exclusive deals and other promotions to our customers through this unique medium,” says Tad Hutcheson, AirTran Airways’ vice president of marketing and sales. “We have gone to great lengths to present these advertisements in a tasteful, unobtrusive way that we believe customers will enjoy.”
AirTran says the new advertising method will increase ancillary revenue for the company and joins existing onboard advertising. This includes GO, AirTran’s in-flight magazine; seat-pocket advertising; advertising on catering items such as napkins; and announcements by flight attendants.
Unlike other in-cabin advertisements, the seat-back messages will be fully visible to passengers throughout the boarding, taxi, takeoff, landing, and deplaning phases, exposing passengers to advertisements for periods ranging from a minimum of approximately 40 minutes to several hours depending on the length of the flight.
AirTran Airways is installing advertising plaques on the backs of all the seats in its mainline jets. Each AirTran passsenger will be exposed to the advertising for the entire duration of his or her flight
“The fact that AirTran offers Wi-Fi on every flight, combined with this new and innovative advertising platform, convinced us this was a perfect marketing opportunity for an online brand like ours,” says Joel Babbit, CEO of Mother Nature Network. “To communicate our message to every passenger, on every flight, represents real and immediate value.”
MNN, launched earlier this year by Babbit and Rolling Stones keyboardist and eco-activist Chuck Leavell, is already ranked as one the world’s five most visited, non-governmental Web sites devoted to environmental news and information, according to AirTran.
The patent-pending, self-enclosed advertising system is provided by the OnBoard Media Group, an Atlanta-based, aviation media company and is in use by more than 10 airlines worldwide, including Jet Airways in India and Air Arabia in Dubai. AirTran Airways is the first U.S. airline to install the FAA-approved advertising device.
AirTran Airways says it will have final approval of all ads and will ensure that offers and messages are consistent with the airline’s family-friendly atmosphere. The airline says ads can be changed in just minutes per plane, enabling frequent changes and new messages.
