In travel tourism advertising, it's common to try and entice people who have wanderlust with images of picture-perfect beaches, romantic getaways and bustling cities—but train operator Thalys decided to tap into another powerful sense to advocate its brand.
Rather than appealing only to one's sense of sight, Thalys set up a series of billboards to communicate The Sounds of the City. Each of these billboards featured a map representing Amsterdam, Paris or Brussels, with many small holes where a pair of headphones could be plugged in. Each individual headphone jack played a different sound, making people on the street feel as though they had been transported to another place and time. The point seems to be that if this is a billboard one person could spend a considerable amount of time enjoying, they may as well hop on a train and experience the city with their full senses.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Sensory Travel Marketing
- Companies can capitalize on consumer's desire for immersive experiences by creating sensory marketing campaigns that engage all of the senses.
- Interactive Billboards
- The use of interactive billboards can provide a memorable and engaging experience for potential customers, leading to increased brand awareness and interest.
- Location-based Audio
- The use of location-based audio technology in marketing campaigns provides a unique and innovative way to promote destinations while also creating a memorable experience for consumers.
Where This Applies
- Tourism
- In the tourism industry, companies can create immersive sensory experiences to promote destinations and encourage travel.
- Advertising
- Using interactive billboards can enhance advertising campaigns, providing a more engaging and memorable experience for potential customers.
- Audio Technology
- The use of location-based audio technology has the potential to revolutionize the way companies promote products and services, providing unique and memorable experiences for consumers.
