A multi-year modernization program was creating construction, traffic, and terminal disruption at one of the world’s busiest airports. Travelers and nearby communities needed timely information without allowing the inconvenience to define the future of LAX.
Transformation story · Travel · Public information
Turning airport disruption into an optimistic public experience
Executive summary
Move beyond a conventional “pardon our dust” message with a flexible public-education platform that could acknowledge disruption, highlight progress, and help people navigate the airport in real time.
“LAX Is Happening” became a multi-channel public-education campaign spanning digital, outdoor, airport signage, video, social engagement, and partner outreach—and earned PRism recognition for both public education and identity design.
Engagement scope
Campaign strategy and creative direction shaped a flexible platform that could inform and inspire travelers across digital, environmental, outdoor, video, social, and public-outreach channels.
- Campaign strategy
- Creative platform and identity
- Messaging architecture
- Digital experience direction
- Integrated channel planning
- Content and video direction
- Public-information experience
Strategic insight
Construction was only part of the story. The same platform could address what was happening to travelers today while building anticipation for the airport experience taking shape around them.
The strategy
01
Reframe disruption as visible progress
02
Create a friendly, icon-driven message system
03
Make essential information useful in real time
04
Meet travelers across the complete journey
05
Build a platform that could evolve with the modernization
From strategy to market
A public-information system with personality.
Color, universal icons, and concise language connected environmental signage, outdoor media, social engagement, a real-time responsive website, digital advertising, video, and traveler communications in one distinctive public experience.
Campaign identityMessaging architectureResponsive information websiteTraffic and closure updatesOutdoor and bus advertisingIn-terminal signageEight traveler-information videosSocial content and engagementAirport-partner and employee outreach
Campaign in motion
LAX Is Happening
The icon-driven campaign system extended into motion as part of the integrated public-information experience.
Watch on Vimeo ↗Business impact
reported paid-media impressions
reported campaign video views
reported site visits
reported engagement
reported average time on site
reported user actions
reported modernization awareness
reported the campaign was easy to understand
Selected evidence
The depth behind the story.
More useful than “pardon our dust”
The platform could communicate construction and traffic impacts while also highlighting new dining, shopping, technology, and passenger improvements.
Built around the traveler journey
Real-time website information, airport signage, outdoor, video, social, and partner outreach created multiple ways for travelers and nearby communities to plan ahead and stay informed.
Recognition
What this demonstrates
Transforming a complicated public-information challenge into a distinctive, useful, and human campaign—one that connected strategy, identity, digital experience, physical wayfinding, content, and community engagement.
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