Emirates grabs aviation’s top ad spot

Emirates Airline has scooped up a prestigious advertising spot at London’s Heathrow Airport, after British Airways walked away from a 16-year tenancy. The airline has nabbed the Concorde Roundabout at the entrance to Heathrow, a prime piece of real estate for reaching some 25 million travelers every year, most of them from an affluent, upscale demographic – the coveted “ABC1s.”

“Our acquisition of this iconic site confirms our status as a leading player at the world’s leading international airport,” said Vic Sheppard, Emirates vice-president UK and Ireland “It also symbolizes a changing of the guard in the aviation world. Concorde will always have a place in the hearts of all aviation enthusiasts, but it represents the past, while we will be using this site in a fresh and innovative way. The Emirates roundabout will soon be a very striking feature of the Heathrow landscape, and a talking point for millions of travellers.”

Emirates has rights to the site, which is seen by passengers travelling by road to Terminals One, Two and Three, as of March 31.

“Emirates has bought much more than an outdoor advertising site,” said JCDecaux airport marketing director Richard Malton. “It has bought itself iconic long-term association with the world’s busiest international airport. This represents near-perfect media planning to reach one of the world’s most desirable audiences.”