Daily BrewLexus-only parking spots at Edmonton airport criticized
[Some parking spots have been earmarked for Lexus-only drivers at Edmonton International Airport which some on social media said was elitist. GLOBAL NEWS]
Thirty parking spots reserved for Lexus drivers at Edmonton International Airport are causing some congestion on social media.
The stalls are located in the airport parking garage’s second and third level, and are inscribed with the words alternating words “Lexus” and “Preferred Parking.”
While the spots don’t take the place of disabled parking stalls, many on Twitter felt the move was elitist.
“It certainly reinforces stereotypes about people who drive expensive cars and/or the people who market them,” wrote Adam Snider.
“It’s very elitestis (sic) and lends to more self entitled behavior,” remarked @PaqTwinn. “Absolute garbage.”
Gezim Hoxha joked “I’ll wait for the Honda-only spaces.”
Others acknowledged the effectiveness of the campaign, despite being interpreted as divisive.
“I can see this causing conflicts but great advertising. We are talking/tweeting about it,” wrote user ShirleyAnn.
The special stalls are part of a larger ad campaign that Lexus has executed through the Pattison agency, explains Heather Hamilton, director of public affairs for Edmonton International Airport. Other aspects include a large wraparound ad outside the airport and a car displayed inside.
“We didn’t randomly select a group and say ‘these people are important,’” she tells Yahoo Canada News. “It’s part of a paid partnership that Lexus has paid for. It’s an opportunity available to any other car dealership or frankly any other business.”
She says that the revenue from the campaign went into installing digital signs throughout the airport.
Preferred customer perks aren’t unique to airports. Credit card companies, for example, offer executive lounges for customers, or a chance to get pumped to the front of the line in security screening.
“People don’t understand that airports in Canada are non-for-profit corporations,” says Hamilton. “We don’t get any tax dollars or government support. All the revenues that we get go back into the airport.”
More than a quarter of Edmonton airport’s revenue comes from advertising.
In total, the airport’s parking holds 13,500 spots, 30 of which are allocated to Lexus.
Though Hamilton believes this was the first type of campaign to be done in Canada, preferred parking spots aren’t a new concept. Anyone can pay $350 a month for a reserved spot in the airport’s parking lot.
Those with the gusto to park in the Lexus spot without driving the brand of car will likely not be penalized.
“Like many arrangements, we’d expect everyone does the right social thing,” says Matt Miller, general manager at Lexus of Edmonton. “If something’s reserved for something specific, we trust people will do the right thing.”
One person on Twitter caught one driver who chose to ignore the signs.
“I dunno, but something about this photo just seems sooo Edmonton,” wrote Courtney Theriault, along with a photo of a Ford truck in the Lexus parking spot.
