BA uses new tech for outdoor campaign

British Airways (BA) has created an outdoor campaign using new technology to interact with aircraft flying overhead.


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BA is claiming the technology for the ‘Magic of Flying’ campaign is an “advertising first”.

The advert, developed by the airline’s global creative technology Ogilvy 12th Floor, aims to remind people how magical flying can be.

The ads are located on digital billboards in Chiswick and Piccadilly and interact with aircraft in the sky thanks to custom built surveillance technology. The system tracks the aircraft and interrupts the digital display just as it passes over the site, revealing the image of a child pointing at the plane, accompanied by its flight number and destination it’s arriving from.

For example the screen may read: ‘It’s the BA0234 from Los Angeles’. This will then be followed by a message relevant to that flight, such as ‘Fly the new A380 to Los Angeles. ba.com/lookup’ or information on the lowest available fare or the temperature at the destination.

The destinations can also be updated immediately depending on changing focus routes for the airline. The ad placement and execution is being managed by Clear Channel UK’s premium digital brand Storm.



British Airways head of marketing Abigail Comber says: “This is a first, not just for British Airways but for UK advertising. We hope it will create a real ‘wow’ and people will be reminded how amazing flying is and how accessible the world can be.”

BA is currently reviewing its lead agency roster with a decision expected soon.

Parent company IAG has just raised its profit target by 12.5 per cent for 2015 based on strong projections for BA.

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