Light therapy for weary travellers

Anyone who’s ever travelled knows that it can be hell, particularly when long layovers and multiple time zones are involved. Thanks to the Aéroports de Paris, however, those travelling through the City of Lights can now experience light therapy to recharge their stamina during a trip. Light therapy, or exposure to full-spectrum light mimicking sunlight, has been found to be beneficial for both jet lag and the “winter blues,” or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Making the most of both purposes, the Paris-Orly and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports offered travellers complimentary light therapy sessions during the 2007 holiday travel season. Large, igloo-shaped stations in select airport terminals were equipped with specialized therapeutic lamps from Philips Energy Light along with relaxation chairs and calming music; massages were also available. “Express” sessions, meanwhile, were available from roving light therapists elsewhere in the airports. In addition to offering consumers a brief respite during a busy season, the service was also a promotion for Be Relax, a new airport boutique opening this month that offers light therapy and more year-round. Instead of bombarding consumers with multi-million dollar, one-way advertising campaigns, some smart brands are aiming to help potential and existing customers in relevant ways. Without pushing them to buy. Our sister-site trendwatching.com has dubbed these initiatives brand butlers, and offering travellers a little comfort while also promoting a new service is a classic example. With its benefits for travellers, meanwhile, light therapy is a natural fit for many travel contexts. British Airways was reportedly experimenting with light-therapy visors for passengers back in 2005. Other airlines, airports, hotels—what about you? (Related: Baby brand space at Schiphol Airport.) Spotted by: airlinetrends.com