Article

Airport travelers smile for World Smile Day to create 'hashtag mosaic'

Travelers to John F. Kennedy International Airport were greeted by a billboard display encouraging them to take pictures of themselves using their smartphones, then post them on social media and help build a "hashtag mosaic" on World Smile Day.

Airport staff help participants post their social media pictures to the "hashtag mosaic."

October 15, 2019 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Who said going to the airport can't be fun? Social media has created new ways for institutions, businesses and organizations to provide guests a fun and personalized experience when conducting tasks that might otherwise be boring if not stressful. Experiential solutions are emerging that allow consumers to use their social media content in new exciting ways.

Travelers to John F. Kennedy International Airport's terminal 4 on Friday were greeted by a billboard display encouraging them to take pictures of themselves using their smartphones, post them on Twitter and Instagram and help build a "hashtag mosaic" on World Smile Day. Airport staff helped them convert their social media posts into pictures to build the mosaic.

An airport staffer proudly presents the "hashtag mosaic" at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Those walking past the display, in front of the duty-free store,  were invited to smile and be part of the World Smile Day campaign, one of several guest-driven campaigns sponsored by JFKIAT, the company that operates terminal 4.

Guests were able to convert their social media post into a picture by including the event's hashtag in their picture caption. As long as the guest had a public profile, hashtag printers on a nearby table automatically printed their photo, which was ready for pickup less than a minute after it posted on Twitter or Instagram.

The campaign generated 101 Twitter and Instagram posts, 882 likes, 62 comments and 31,900 impressions, according to Marino, JFKIAT's public relations agency.

"The display surprises and delights customers in the terminal, giving them a chance to interact with an activation and have a photo to take home," Ed Midgley, JFKIAT's vice president of commercial and customer experience, told Kiosk Marketplace via email. "It is also something to do in the terminal. An added benefit is that it attracts customers to whatever store it is located near, generating additional sales."

"People enjoy it (World Smile Day) and it is a good way for us to promote the message through social media, aligned with World Smile Day initiatives to spread good cheer and kindness through a smile," he said.

World Smile Day marked the sixth mosaic hashtag campaign JFKIAT has organized using hashtag printers provided by Luster, a New York City-based startup that creates user generated content to allow brands to interact with customers. 

Experiential solutions experts step forward

"They were looking to engage their consumers — travelers — while they're waiting at the terminals and really provide a fun element for them," Luster Senior Account Executive Jennifer Finger told Kiosk Marketplace. "Just having them stop and take a moment to enjoy a special experience and be a part of something bigger — being a part of something permanent in a way that is able to also attract them and their attention while they are in this transient environment."

"It's meant to draw people in and engage them," said Peter Clark, Luster's marketing director. The hashtag printer was developed in 2014 for a music festival, he said, but the JFK projects mark the first retail environments. The product has also been used for conferences and private meetings.

"It (the hashtag mosaic) enhances brand exposure," Clark said. "It's not just what's happening at the event, but also what's happening on social media that's tied to our activation."

"The success of our company generally is because social media is so ubiquitous," he said. "It (the hashtag mosaic) just brings in that part of their life to what they're experiencing in person as well. They're shopping at JFK — they have a way of engaging with this thing in person and creating something with what would otherwise just be their social media activity."

Luster provides user engagement metrics to clients, Clark said, but not personal information about the customers.

"There's very little that we can actually tell about a specific person," he said.

Photos courtesy of JFKIAT Twitter feed.

About Elliot Maras

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Elliot Maras is the editor of Kiosk Marketplace and Vending Times. He brings three decades covering unattended retail and commercial foodservice.