• by Seana Mulcahy , January 15, 2007

Just when I think I've heard of just about every form of advertising, I realized I was wrong. I got an e-mail announcing the launch of advertising at airport security checkpoints. Yes, you heard it right. New media company SecurityPoint Media works with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and partners with local airports to provide and end-to-end security checkpoint solution in return for the right to utilize the SecureTray for promotional campaigns. In a nutshell, ads on new security trays.

Is it just me, or is the whole standing in line with shoes in hand, laptop out of the bag, additional bag in tow, pockets emptied, belt off, jacket off, and cell phone, etc. in little dirty plastic bowl an annoying acrobatic act? Don't get me wrong, I'm not slamming security. I'm happy there are increased screeners. But can we do something to inform the dumbass travelers who saunter through, yakking loudly on their cell phone with shoes and belt still on, nothing organized...what to do and when to do it??? Please help s/he get a clue so we all don't have to show up hours early due to delays.

I was thinking, at a moment like that, I'd be open to a chair to rest for a moment, a mere sip of water, another set of arms to hold my stuff--but typically, I wouldn't be accepting to ads. In fact, if I saw ads while going through that ordeal, I'd most likely have negative brand association with the advertiser.

It was hard to find more than topline information about this company, so I welcome them to post on the Spin blog or ping me. I wanted to understand what this concept is and visually see an example. Copy on the company's site says, "The SecureTray System is designed to fulfill a need for a uniform, repeatable method of moving passengers more efficiently through airport security checkpoints."

What I do like is that ad revenues will go to local individual airports. The company tested the concept at LAX for the past six months. Want to guess who the advertiser was? There's no way I would have guessed: Rolodex. Hmmm, this leaves me scratching my head..

Those of us who work in the digital space have often gotten beaten up and questioned for being intrusive. The age-old media mantra is: right message, right time, right place. This doesn't mean what we, the brands/advertisers, deem right. We still get consumers that get completely ticked off at home page takeovers, anything with audio and video... and just about all forms of online advertising. We continued to defend ourselves, our strategies, our placements, and most important, the brands we represent. Most of us do anything and everything to be honest and respectful to our viewers. So maybe folks are making too big a deal out of this new out-of-home concept. As long as it's tasteful, and doesn't distract, who cares if an ad is at the bottom of a bin? So what do you think? Is this intrusive or potentially engaging?