• by Erik Sass , March 13, 2006

Clear Channel Airports this morning announced a new program placing outdoor ads in aircraft and airports used by execs and celebrities. The program, called the Pinnacle Collection, is intended to reach the very wealthiest travelers--those well-heeled enough to fly in private planes--at 30 private airport terminals located in 12 major markets, but out of the public eye.

A number of companies have already signed on for advertising campaigns with Clear Channel's Pinnacle Collection, understandably skewing toward luxury goods and financial services. Early entrants include Jaguar, Men's Vogue, Royal Bank, and Tiffany, which will advertise at private airports in New York, Los Angeles, and Palm Beach.

Ninety-five percent of Fortune 500 companies own business jets, according to Clear Channel, and with average compensation for top executives at 367 leading American companies reaching a record $11.8 million in 2004, the desirability of this niche demographic is self-evident.

Airport advertising also gives marketers access to travelers in transit, traditionally a hard time to reach consumers. And because of security rules, travelers in airports are very much a "captive audience."

To distinguish their advertising from run-of-the-mill ads for the masses, Clear Channel's Pinnacle Collection limits campaigns to a few innovative approaches. These distinctive methods include displays of automobiles near airport entrances, dioramas, large vinyl wall wraps, and entertainment areas in lounges where advertisers can hawk new products by allowing users to sample them.