Press Release 1999

Star Alliance dominates Heathrow with giant advertising site

The Star Alliance of major airlines today unveils a spectacular outdoor campaign to dominate the heart of the world's busiest international airport.

A giant "Millennium Site" has been developed in the central terminal area, using the latest technology, with a vast flashing dome beneath two back-to-back illuminated posters to produce an unmissable promotion on the seamless air travel Star Alliance offers.

Pictured, from left to right: Liz Price (Lufthansa), Owe Lowenberg (SAS), Brian Hall (Air Canada), Cesar Lima Santos (Varig), David Cook (THAI), Mark Davies (Air New Zealand) and Brandon O'Reilly (United Airlines).

One side of the posters features the familiar Star Alliance image of an elongated aircraft with the livery of each member airline. On the other side, the headline asks: "What are you waiting for? Star Alliance gold members get priority check-in on all eight airlines."

The Millennium Site strategy targets frequent business travellers who constitute the main target group of the eight Star Alliance member airlines - Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Ansett Australia, Lufthansa, SAS, THAI, United and Varig.

The Heathrow site is a collaborative effort involving Star Alliance's advertising agency, Young & Rubicam, Y&R's media network The Media Edge, the outdoor specialists Poster Publicity International (PPI) and the Heathrow site concessionaire Sky Sites.

Star Alliance spokesman Robert Atkinson, UK General Manager for Air Canada said: "This special advertising site at Heathrow highlights Star Alliance as the airline network that really spans the globe, offering travellers an unrivalled travel experience. It is an imaginative project which will capture peoples attention as they go through the world's busiest international airport."

Together, The Media Edge and PPI have sought to buy the most innovative and spectacular sites to drive home the Star Alliance message at Heathrow. They have worked with Sky Sites to develop massive, dominant, icon advertising in the areas where the most significant percentage of airport traffic is delivered.

The Star Alliance airline network carries over 200 million customers every year to more than 110 countries around the world. The Star Alliance member airlines are: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Ansett Australia, Lufthansa, SAS, Thai International Airways, United Airlines, Varig, with All Nippon Airways of Japan set to join in October 1999. With a modern fleet of over 1,600 aircraft, Star Alliance serves more than 720 destinations world-wide.

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