During the next two weeks, each seat will be outfitted with a 2 and 1/2 X 9 inch, easily-changeable, full-color, advertisement. Mother Nature Network (www.mnn.com) is the 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," said Tad Hutcheson, AirTran Airways' VP marketing and sales.
"We have gone to great lengths to present these advertisements in a tasteful, unobtrusive way that we believe customers will enjoy."
This new advertising forum will increase ancillary revenue for the company and joins existing onboard advertising, including: GO, AirTran's award-winning in-flight magazine, seat pocket advertising, advertising on catering items like napkins and flight attendant announcements.
Unlike other in-cabin advertisements, these messages will be fully visible to passengers throughout the boarding, taxi, takeoff, landing, and deplaning phases, offering companies a unique opportunity to reach consumers for periods ranging from a minimum of approximately 40 minutes to several hours depending on the length of the 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," said Joel Babbit, CEO of Mother Nature Network (MNN). MNN, launched earlier this year by Babbit and Rolling Stones keyboardist and noted eco-activist Chuck Leavell, has enjoyed explosive growth and is ranked as one the world's five most visited, non-governmental Web sites devoted to environmental news and information.
Said Babbit, "To communicate our message to every passenger, on every flight, represents real and immediate value."
The patent-pending, self-enclosed, advertising system is provided by the OnBoard Media Group (www.onboardmediagroup.com), 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 this FAA-approved advertising device.
AirTran Airways will have final approval of all ads and will ensure offers and messages are consistent with the airline's family-friendly atmosphere. Ads can be changed in just minutes per plane, enabling frequent changes and new messages.
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