• by David Goetzl , November 18, 2009

AirTran Airways said it has begun offering seat-back advertising on its jets, with plans to extend the opportunity to its full fleet of 138. Online site Mother Nature Network is the charter advertiser with a full-color execution plugging a sweepstakes to win a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The dimensions of the ads are 2 and a half by 9 inches. OnBoard Media Group developed the system used by more than 10 airlines globally; AirTran is the first domestic carrier.

Tad Hutcheson, AirTran's vice president of marketing and sales, states: "We have gone to great lengths to present these advertisements in a tasteful, unobtrusive way that we believe customers will enjoy."

AirTran is looking for incremental revenue from the new medium, which joins its in-flight magazine, advertising on napkins and announcements by flight attendants as on-board marketing openings.

Mother Nature Network, which offers environmental news and green commentary, launched earlier this year with Rolling Stones musician Chuck Leavell as a founder.

"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," states Joel Babbit, CEO of MNN.