• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer, July 13, 2009

Advertising in mall parking garages has been kept to a minimum, due to strict fire regulations. Until now.

Carspaze launched last year in Europe with its transformation of parking garages into 3-D advertising backdrops. European clients included Toyota, GM, Mont Blanc and Bulgari.

The company has brought its concept and technology stateside, and the inaugural client is JetBlue.

The first two installations can be found at Macerich's Tysons Corner in northern Virginia and Westfield Century City in Los Angeles. Creative promotes the airline's free DirecTV and XM Radio in-flight offerings. JWT and Kinetic created the installation and Mediacom handled the media buy.

This is the largest advertising effort to be placed in a parking garage. The JetBlue installation is 100 ft long and features the backs of three JetBlue seats surrounded by clouds. Since the backs of JetBlue seats come equipped with individual TV screens, Carspaze made every third monitor an actual working TV that plays content.

Both locations also have an onsite concierge to assist customers with shopping bags and mall information. Shoppers need to keep their blood sugar levels up, so inflight snacks and drinks will be distributed.

Prior to the JetBlue launch, Carspaze ran a test campaign for Footlocker, which saw a 4% increase in sales, according to Nielsen research.

All ad materials are fire retardant and eco-friendly. Recycled fiberglass and plastic panels and frames are used, along with low energy fluorescent bulbs.

The lighting is on a timer to coincide with mall hours. I'm sure the added lighting served as an additional level of security to late night shoppers.

It takes four to six weeks to install a campaign and Carspaze has partnered with mall owners Macerich, Westfield and General Growth Properties for campaigns to run in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, DC, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Seattle markets. And in this down economy, the additional revenue will serve as a boost to mall owners.