Press / Wall Street Journal
New Chase campaign electrifies
February 22, 2006
By Suzanne Vranica
A commercial-banking unit of J.P. Morgan Chase has a slick advertising campaign -- but this one's got no catchy jingle, no snappy slogan and no celebrities.
The U.S. bank's newest ad push is nestled in quiet corners of Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana, attached to electrical outlets.
In the latest example of marketers plastering their message in unusual public spaces, an ad agency hired by Chase installed 90 stickers, each 60 centimeters long, around outlets in the airport's departure lounges and eating areas earlier this month. The decals are emblazoned with Chase's name and logo with messages such as: "This outlet works. Now you can too." Also highlighted are either the email address or a local phone number for Chase's commercial-banking unit, which targets businesses doing between $10 million and $500 million in annual revenue.
Chase hopes the decals will be spotted by the hordes of businesspeople passing through the Indianapolis airport every week, many of whom while away hours waiting for their plane by working on a laptop computer plugged into a wall outlet. Others use outlets to charge cellphones. Chase is in talks to expand the program to other midsize airports across the U.S.
The campaign reflects marketers' desire to find new ways to get consumers' attention. Fragmentation of audiences among increasing media options has made it harder for marketers to reach people through traditional techniques such as television advertising. Instead, marketers are trying to weave product pitches into consumers' everyday lives. As a result, in recent years ads have appeared on spaces as diverse as men's urinals, food trays in sports stadiums and even dry-cleaner bags.
"You not only have to come up with creative solutions but invent unique places to put them," says Scott Montgomery, principal at Bradley & Montgomery, the small Indianapolis ad firm that designed the campaign.
Chase says it wanted a way to better reach businesspeople. "We are trying to focus on alternative media to help us target business owners or business decision makers," says Amy Munson, senior marketing manager at Chase Commercial Banking.
"Trying to get [business decision makers'] attention is difficult. There is a lot of ad clutter," Ms. Munson adds. Until now, Chase has largely relied on print advertising in local markets to woo potential clients.
Chase is paying about $65,000 for the ads to appear for a year. For that money, it also gets four months of signage on in-terminal monitors that post flight information.
Growth of spending on "nontraditional" venues is expected to outstrip traditional venues this year, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.
The U.S. bank's newest ad push is nestled in quiet corners of Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana, attached to electrical outlets.
In the latest example of marketers plastering their message in unusual public spaces, an ad agency hired by Chase installed 90 stickers, each 60 centimeters long, around outlets in the airport's departure lounges and eating areas earlier this month. The decals are emblazoned with Chase's name and logo with messages such as: "This outlet works. Now you can too." Also highlighted are either the email address or a local phone number for Chase's commercial-banking unit, which targets businesses doing between $10 million and $500 million in annual revenue.
Chase hopes the decals will be spotted by the hordes of businesspeople passing through the Indianapolis airport every week, many of whom while away hours waiting for their plane by working on a laptop computer plugged into a wall outlet. Others use outlets to charge cellphones. Chase is in talks to expand the program to other midsize airports across the U.S.
The campaign reflects marketers' desire to find new ways to get consumers' attention. Fragmentation of audiences among increasing media options has made it harder for marketers to reach people through traditional techniques such as television advertising. Instead, marketers are trying to weave product pitches into consumers' everyday lives. As a result, in recent years ads have appeared on spaces as diverse as men's urinals, food trays in sports stadiums and even dry-cleaner bags.
"You not only have to come up with creative solutions but invent unique places to put them," says Scott Montgomery, principal at Bradley & Montgomery, the small Indianapolis ad firm that designed the campaign.
Chase says it wanted a way to better reach businesspeople. "We are trying to focus on alternative media to help us target business owners or business decision makers," says Amy Munson, senior marketing manager at Chase Commercial Banking.
"Trying to get [business decision makers'] attention is difficult. There is a lot of ad clutter," Ms. Munson adds. Until now, Chase has largely relied on print advertising in local markets to woo potential clients.
Chase is paying about $65,000 for the ads to appear for a year. For that money, it also gets four months of signage on in-terminal monitors that post flight information.
Growth of spending on "nontraditional" venues is expected to outstrip traditional venues this year, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.