How Much Trust Should We Place in Travel Advertising?

by Adrienne Wilson on

The writers over at Jaunted take planning a good vaca away from the job, nagging boss, pouty children or pet Scruffy just as serious as we do or any traveler for that matter so when the travel brochure shows a picture of a waterfall – there better be a waterfall. According to their report here there have been some recent glitches in travel advertising placing the wrong photo with the wrong place. Huh? Ouch! Yup!

I’m not sure which of these incidents happened first, but the Perrin Post Travel Blog does a fine job link traveling through this travel advertising matrix. The first error mentioned on their blog is how Tennessee’s tourism experts got caught using a picture of an Alaskan range in one of their Tennessee ad campaigns. Hmm… Tennessee and Alaska – aren’t they one of the same? I don’t think so. Following the bogus Tennessee incident was another Jaunted pointed out three months back when Royal Nepal Airlines used an image of Machu Picchu in one of their ad campaigns. It doesn’t end there. It just gets better. Tourism New Zealand also caught some heat for a digitally blended image and a commenter on all the hoop-la now questions a Discovery Channel “Club 1080” shot of Anguilla. What gives?

Sure, the pictures on restaurant menus are often deceiving and the fare looks far more delectable than what typically lands in front of us, but are we really going to have to do a double-take the next time we see a commercial for Bermuda to make sure it isn’t the Bahamas? Personally, I’ve never had an issue with travel advertising and most of what I was promised was delivered, but I can’t help wondering how many poor souls went off looking for that beautiful scene in Tennessee only to find it was in Alaska?

TSA to Allow Ads at Security Checkpoints

by Dave Luna on

I get chills down my spine whenever I hear the Transportation Security Administration is planning something. Usually, they take things away from travelers like bottled water, shoe insoles, or — I don’t know — dignity. Thankfully, I think we’ll be OK this time.

The TSA has plans to launch a year-long partnership with various companies to add advertising to the security checkpoint area in airports. Companies that join the program will purchase checkpoint tables, bins, and trays for the TSA in exchange for ad space inside the bins.

I suppose this scheme will work out for the government agency and the vendors, but where does that leave the everyday jet-setter? I don’t really mind it since the adverts will be out of the way, but I’d rather the money go to hiring security screeners who are a little less surly.

On a somewhat related note: here’s one person’s humorous idea of how advertising would look aboard an airplane.

(via AdJab)

Virtual Land Preservation

by Dave Luna on

Last month, Microsoft launched Virtual Earth 3D. The product is essentially Google Earth, but in a browser and with cleaner building imagery. Though, I’m not here to talk about who has the better interface or prettier pictures. I’ll leave that up to the qualified people like our friends at Download Squad.

I’m more concerned with how advertising can affect these virtual environments. Yes, Microsoft already has plans in the works to inject virtual billboards into their 3D Earth construct. Obviously, since it’s their product, they can do as they see fit with their version of the globe. However, imagine these ads as ubiquitous as South of the Border and Wall Drug signs. For instance, outfitters could pepper the summit of Mount Rainier with icons of boots and granola bars. Also, advertising could turn the Great Wall of China into the next Las Vegas Strip with flashing faux-neon cowboys flanking the World Wonder.

Sure, the addition of advertisements is a hardly as questionable as — say — putting our National Parks into the hands of catering companies, but it does cheapen the experience of seeing places you’d love to visit. I’ll pose the question to you, dear reader: Is there such a thing as the responsible treatment of land when transitioning from the real world to the virtual world?