Marketing campaign behind ‘preferred parking’ spots at Edmonton International Airport

'Preferred parking' spots at the Edmonton International Airport.

Dozens of prime parking spots in the parkade at the Edmonton International Airport have been repainted with a new logo.

Thirty stalls in the parkade have been re-painted with the Lexus logo, indicating preferred parking for owners of the luxury cars.

A spokesperson with the Edmonton International Airport said the not-for-profit organization can use the revenue.

“I think what’s important to understand here is that this is all revenue that comes to us that’s non-aviation revenue,” Heather Hamilton with the Edmonton International Airport said. “What that means is that an advertiser pays us a dollar that the passenger doesn’t have to pay and the airline doesn’t have to pay, and so that’s one of the ways we offset our costs.”

It’s all part of an advertising campaign through Pattison Outdoor Signage.

As for what might happen if a non-brand vehicle were to park in the spot, Hamilton said it would be up to the company to handle that.

“It’s Lexus that has paid for these spaces and it would be up to Lexus to determine how they would like to handle that,” Hamilton said.

The manager of Lexus South Point said parking a non-Lexus vehicle in one of the spots is not a ticketable offence.

“There won’t be anything consequential happening to them,” Cam Rutten with Lexus South Pointe said. “They may have an urge when they get back to buy a Lexus, hopefully, but otherwise they’re happy to park there.”