Samsung Soars in Austria

As I stepped out of Vienna International Airport this evening, the above image was the first sight that met my eyes. My driver was moving to his car so quickly that I barely had time to snap this picture. But, despite my less than stellar picture taking, this nontraditional advertising grabbed my focus from the moment I stepped outdoors (where it was only 18 degrees Celsius - what's up with that?).

I must admit my curiosity was piqued. Was this tower a place of business, did it serve some other purpose, or did it serve no purpose at all? I had to find out.

My searching led me to this YouTube video, which explained all. It actually is an airport control tower ... one of the tallest ones in Europe, to be exact. My continued searching helped me realize that what I saw this evening was actually quite boring to what the tower sometimes reveals to air travelers.

I wasn't able to find the cost of this tower or the strategy behind why Samsung constructed it, but according to Wikipedia (the finest authority in all the land), nearly 20 million passengers visited the Vienna International Airport in 2010.

Maybe that's all the eyeballs Samsung needed to justify the cost of this nontraditional advertising tactic. I must say ... it worked for me.

Caribou Coffee Turns Up The Heat

Everyone knows that Minnesota can be darn cold during the long and dark winter months. I'm sure many a traveler stops at the drive-through of the local Caribou to get a steaming cup of coffee on their way to work ... not only for the much-needed jolt of caffeine, but also as a morning dose of toasty warmth.

But, how about travelers that are forced to brave the elements and ride the bus to work every day? Well, Caribou Coffee has found a clever way to comfort those unfortunate souls.

In order to promote their new line of hot breakfast sandwiches, Caribou has literally turned up the heat in Minnesota area bus shelters. Bus travelers can now warm up while waiting for their bus ... in the giant sized oven provided by Caribou.

A cozy, warm way for Caribou Coffee to serve up its marketing message, while simultaneously endearing the target to its brand.  Nicely done, Caribou!