Ikea recently outfitted the Paris Metro Stations with brightly colored sofa’s and home decor, along with full scale wall adhesives depicting real life living room scenes, in an effort to showcase their new furniture collection.  This brilliant marketing campaign turns an experience that might otherwise be dull, dirty and mundane, into a more positive experience for the 4.5 million passengers that are carried through this metro system each day.

The installation allows passengers to literally see and feel for themselves, the quality and comfortability of various pieces of Ikea furniture without having to actually visit one of their massive stores in person.  By bringing their products to the consumer, the Ikea brand has a chance to engage and interact with them in a whole new environment; one where cushy couches and inviting lamp light might be just what commuters are missing.  But they’ve only got until March 24th to conduct their very own “bum test” after which, they’ll have to take the metro out to Ikea if they want more.

About 300 miles northeast of Paris, in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, another interesting and relaxing opportunity awaits the frequent traveler.  Located in the Cone Bar, Lounge 2, are Massage-O-Matic chairs, offering 8 glorious minutes of Shiatsu massage for about $5.  The chairs are part of Schiphol Airport’s wellness and beauty program, providing passengers the ultimate in privacy and design.  Prior to the installation, research revealed the most in-demand services according to travelers were those which focused on personal care and well-being.  And the new massage chairs fashionably fit the bill.  Available around the clock, the Massage-O-Matic turns an otherwise stressful and exhausting experience into a relaxing and re-energizing one.

But what if you knew your brand would be top of mind from the moment these event-goers touched down at the airport, to the moment they made their way through security lines and gate holds to board their flight back home?  Many companies have realized the phenomenal impact that Event Welcoming Programs can have, and have enlisted the help of AMI to work collaboratively with them in developing experiential airport-based programs aimed at event attendees.  Last year it was Biosense Webster, a Johnson & Johnson Company, who came to us for brand awareness Welcoming Programs surrounding two major conferences in Boston, Massachusetts.  Biosense successfully created that ever so important first impression with huge graphics throughout the entire airport, welcoming attendees to the show and into the city.  But in order to garner and maintain their attention even after the conference had commenced, Biosense incorporated an element used to create that equally important last impression on attendees and other air travelers alike.  Biosense-branded 3-1-1 bags were distributed at all TSA security checkpoints, helping passengers consolidate their liquids, gels and other small personal belongings.  In the weeks that followed, 25,000 Biosense bags were used.  In years past, AMI executed an Event Welcoming Program for Bank of America, and in addition to large-scale signage, used professionally trained Brand Ambassadors to greet those landing in Boston’s International Terminal E with branded Bank of America bottled water, making that extra valuable 1:1 connection.

3-1-1 Convenience Bags courtesy of Biosense

Partnering with AMI on an Event Welcoming Program would allow you to make that crucial first and last impression and to know, without a doubt, that your brand stays top of mind.  Branded, reusable bags provide an unexpected convenience for air travelers, and including a measurable call-to-action inserted into the bag, can give your airport-based marketing program incredible added value.

A sweet treat for people waiting to pick up loved ones at Boston Logan this holiday

Airport Cell Phone Lots are the perfect venue to stage an experiential Sampling program.  The Cell Phone Waiting Lot at Boston Logan hosts over 300 vehicles per day and is a perfect venue for sampling new products and services to family and friends in need of a little pick me up.  The day before Thanksgiving, Dunkin’ Brand Ambassadors set up their Sampling Truck in the Cell Lot to surprise and delight those waiting to pick up their loved ones for the holiday.  To help raise awareness of the perk, Boston Logan Airport helped out by tweeting about the event, and encouraged those who might otherwise spend time circling the roadways, to stop by the lot for free samples of Dunkin’s own lattes and hot chocolate.  How sweet!

It is estimated that this gift from Google will reach the 100 Million+ people that are passing through the participating airports between now and mid January 2010. Those people who do take advantage of this generous offer and log onto the free service will have an opportunity to give back as well.  Passengers will have the option of donating to Engineers without Borders, the One Economy Corporation, or the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, and Google has vowed to match the donations made across all networks up to $250K.  Additionally, the airport network that accumulates the greatest amount per passenger by the first of the New Year, will receive $15K to donate to a local nonprofit of their choice.

For a complete list of all of the participating airports, click here.

Chrysalis in IND. Photo Credit: R. Cao via flickr

It was recently written in the NY Times that Heathrow Airport let writer Alain de Botton, post up in the the port, and quietly record everything he saw, heard, and experienced as the airport’s first ever writer-in-residence.  His unedited words were then to be published and printed, in a short book titled “A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary.”  According to Dan Glover, the creative director at Heathrow’s public relations agency, the objective was “to make a passenger’s time at Heathrow the best memory of the trip.”

Mr. Glover is looking for an outcome that many other, if not all, airport authorities strive for.  While air travel can often be a source of stress and frustration for people, airports are constantly in search of ways to enhance the experience and improve the overall airport environment.  This experiment was profoundly unique, in that it put the airport’s visitors at the center of the story, allowing for them to feel more connected to their environment and a part of a bigger, more important story.  You can find excerpts from Alain de Botton’s book here.

Other airports offer their passengers cultural experiences by installing art exhibits and small-scale galleries for travelers to enjoy.  The New Indianapolis International Airport recently opened as the nation’s first brand new airport since 9/11.  Starting in 2005, however, the Indianapolis Airport has been collecting hundreds of pieces of public art as part of the Col. H Weir Cook Memorial Terminal Building installation.    The airport hopes to create a “visual gateway” to the city, allowing travelers of all ages and backgrounds to discover the unique heritage and history of Indianapolis.

So next time you find yourself at the airport with time to kill prior to departure, be sure to take a moment and explore the local art scene.  It could turn out to be one of the best memories of your trip!

I’m sure you’ve been there before.   Stuck in the airport with nothing to do.  And if you’re like me, you’d rather do anything than simply sit and wait for your plane to board, considering you’ll be doing plenty of that once you actually get on it.

So how about this – take a break from your favorite time-wasting iPhone App to engage one-one in an Airport Tweetup.  Since seemingly everybody is tweeting away these days, why not take advantage of the microblogging site and use it to connect with other travelers stranded in the same airport at the same time.

You could designate a well known public area, sculpture or gate number as your meeting spot, or even just post your personal coordinates; then tweet up with a potential business partner to discuss how your companies could work together; or with someone from your same field to share ideas and insights.  You could even tweet up simply for social or personal reasons.

So I wonder, would you tweetup in an airport during a layover?  Or is the idea of going on a ‘Twitter blind date’ too out there?  Leave a comment and let us know.

So we found out that:

• 63% of households have pets
• 67% of pet owners would travel with their pets if they knew more accommodations were made for their pets
• 19% of America’s 73 million dog owners take their dogs with them when they travel

This presents a unique opportunity for a leading pet products brand to really connect with their audience through a Pet Relief Area Sponsorship. We’re thinking free doggie treat samples, branded water bowls and fire hydrants, plus pet health information kiosks and promotional offers… There are a ton of fun ways one could market their brand while creating a positive experience for passengers traveling with their pets.  An Airport Pet Relief Area Sponsorship not only presents the chance to engage with your consumer in a brand new environment, but you’d stand out as exclusive providers of a unique new service.  This would surely make some tails wag.

But this is not the first time O’Hare has worked to encourage safe and healthy travel.  Last winter, the major airport led the way in offering Flu Shots to their passengers, and based on its overwhelming reception, this year they are expanding the program into new locations with extended hours.  Following their lead, several other airports are now offering the same service to their passengers this winter, and you can find the entire list in the USAToday column here (courtesy of Harriet Baskas, author of the blog Stuck at the Airport).

So as more and more cash-strapped airports are pushed to spend money to provide ways for their passengers to stay healthy, we begin the hunt for potential sponsors – ideally a company looking for non-traditional ways to connect with consumers while showing strong corporate citizenship and goodwill – a company eager to partner with these airports in the unified prevention of the spread of disease.  It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to be smart enough to do it…  are you?

We’ll come right out and say it – because of the time spent in this space, and the knowledge we’ve gained, our favorite environment for new marketing and non-traditional advertising opportunities is The Airport. Now we know what you might be thinking… airports are a nightmare. But we beg to differ. Over the past few years, we have become intimately familiar with airports. In fact, we love them (yes, this is true). But it’s the people that hang out in airports, that we as marketers truly appreciate.  A few interesting statistics:

• 61% of Frequent Flyers fall into the ultra-desirable 25- to 54- year age group
• 33% of Frequent Flyers net annual incomes exceeding $100,000
• 68% of Frequent Flyers have a college or grad school degree
• Frequent Flyers are two and a half times more likely than the typical consumer to have made corporate purchasing decisions in the past year.

A pretty stand-out group, if you ask us. Which makes an airport-based campaign a pretty smart strategy for connecting with a valuable demographic.

So, if your brand could engage with this prime audience, in the safety and security of the airport environment, what kind of experience would you create for them? And if you’re a road warrior, a frequent flyer, what kind of products and services would you be willing to test, try or taste while you wait for your plane to board? Comment here and let us know.