Denver International Airport Turns Conspiracy Theories Into Ad Series
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Denver International Airport (DEN) capitalizes on conspiracy theories to get creative with construction hoardings.
Apparently there is a favorite airport for Internet conspiracy theorists and tin-foil hat wearers: Denver International Airport. The airport has been the subject of theories on the further edges of the web that, according to the Guardian, include things such as satanic symbols on the airport floor, and an underground lair for the “lizard people” being underneath the baggage claim system.
The airport has turned this to advantage by using construction barriers and walls at the airport to create ad hoardings making fun of Denver Airport’s reputation, while also promoting the ongoing work to renovate the airport’s Great Hall.
The ads all carry the hashtag #DENFILES, and relate to conspiracy theories detailed on the airport’s website such as the idea that the airport is the headquarters of the Illuminati.
Why the #Denver airport is better than yours… @DENAirport #DENfiles #blucifer #illuminati #milehighcity pic.twitter.com/cWeFgaNZpW
— Scott McLeod (@mcleod) October 4, 2018
Normally construction hoardings are both an inconvenience for passengers (who often have to get around them or find some facilities are closed) and an eyesore. They are also dead space, that an airport can and should use to tell people a bit more about what’s going on there.
Denver Airport has done so in a really creative way, while making some of the stranger ideas that exist about it online into a marketing tactic. And the core idea is something just about any aviation brand could co-opt.
What wild or strange ideas or stories exist about you as a brand, and how can you use them to get people talking about you?
This case study was featured in SimpliFlying’s Airline Marketing Benchmark Report, which showcases the top airline branding strategies each month. Find out more here.