Passing through Gatwick Airport recently, something caught my eye. Having cleared security I continued on, looking up at my gate number on the departure board. As I scanned down the illuminated display for my destination, something caused me to double-take…
Featured image:PDD
In place of some of the gate numbers were Pret A Manger logos, and before them, ticker messages kindly reminding the unfortunate passengers on the delayed flights they now had time to indulge at their ‘favourite’ fast food chain.
While the idea of a benefiting from someone’s misfortune already seems inappropriate, what crossed my mind is whether media real estate, on something as critical as a departure board should be given-over to advertising? What if screen space on a hospital heart monitor was surrendered to Lipitor ads?
Of course with advertising there is always a flip side and there are many examples of the benefits flowing in ambient information can deliver. This can be seen in BERG’s work for Dentsu, click here for some examples…
But where are the limits and who should decide?