SAN JOSE — San Jose International Airport is about to become the launch site for the nation’s first all-digital advertising effort, a high-tech endeavor to usher in a cutting-edge system to hawk brands and products to air travelers.
In place of the familiar paper and cardboard ads posted around the Silicon Valley airport, a wave of digital ads in traditional and unexpected spots will mark the concourses of the air travel hub, according to advertising behemoth Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings and airport officials.
“San Jose Airport is the first to go digital,” said John Aitken, the city’s director of aviation. “It lets the world know that this airport is in the capital of Silicon Valley.”
The first advertisers that will seek to raise brand awareness — and to sell products, services, and special deals to air travelers — include Google and Alaska Airlines, according to Clear Channel Airports, a unit of Clear Channel Outdoor.
“From a consumer standpoint, travelers will see something they have never seen before,” said Morten Gotterup, president of Clear Channel Airports.
The digital ads will appear on an eclectic assortment of platforms at the airport.
“This will be very imaginative,” Aitken said. “It will create a great deal of excitement and curiosity.”
Huge screens, overhead meshes, columns, and panels are all being deployed to create a network of advertisements, according to Clear Channel.
An estimated 82 screens will be used for the digital displays, which will appear in security sections, terminal gathering areas, near gates, and in baggage claim.
“San Jose is a critical market for us,” said Natalie Bowman, managing director of marketing with Alaska Airlines. “We want to build a deeper relationship with the flyers. San Jose airport is the Bay Area’s best-kept travel secret. It doesn’t get the amount of traffic we think it deserves.”
The digital advertisements will do more than present a message to make people more aware of a company or a brand. They will enable travelers to interact with the advertiser, executives said.
“We are going to test some things,” Bowman said. “One thing Alaska Airlines is considering is a text to join message. People could be alerted that they can join a mileage plan, especially within our terminal or our gate. People could join us on social media through a hashtag.”
A few screens have begun to appear at the airport as part of a soft launch. The system is expected to be in full swing by mid-November.
“When we launch, we are fully anticipating that we will be sold out,” Gotterup said. “That is a fairly significant statement to make in the world of advertising. The proof of concept is there.”
Plus, the new digital effort will also shovel plenty of money into the city’s coffers. The airport will harvest 55 percent of the revenue generated by the digital ads.
The ads also will rotate among the screens and the content won’t always be the same.
“The advertisers can change the message as many times as they want,” Gotterup said.
That means passengers won’t be subjected to the same image repeatedly at the airport while preparing to catch a departing flight.
“We can make changes within days,” Bowman said. “It’s much more nimble for Alaska. With traditional advertising, the typical time frame would be eight to 10 weeks. Now, we can get to market with a new message in eight to 10 days.”
These changes are all part of a new look and feel that’s expected for airports worldwide.
“Airports around the globe are investing more in the experience of being air travel,” Gotterup said. “The restaurants, shopping are getting better. These digital ads are a way to inform, educate, and create a call to action.”
San Jose airport officials didn’t hesitate when the opportunity presented itself to launch a digital marketing enterprise at the travel complex.
“We’re excited. This will change San Jose airport,” Aitken said. “When Clear Channel told us about this, we said we were all in. We are going to be the start of a trend.”
