More and more, we see the need to measure the impact our editorial coverage has on our advertising (and vice versa). But what about the effect other organizations' PR and advertising have our companies' and brands' communications? If recent events across the pond are any indication, it's time to start peering beyond our garden walls.

Last week, Heathrow Airport triumphantly opened the new, $8.6 billion Terminal 5 - which Heathrow touted for its aesthetic charms and state-of-the-art baggage handling systems. Heathrow's hope: to repair its image as a shabby and overcrowded hub. But, from initial triumph Heathrow has quickly experienced tragedy of epic proportions. To wit: Terminal 5 crashed and burned on take-off - spectacularly.

Just how bad was it? England's aviation minister called it "a blow to national pride," as almost 300 flights were cancelled and at least 28,000 bags unexpectedly misplaced. Blimey! Here's the full AP story on CNN. 

As fate would have it, the following Monday, Cadbury and agency Fallon launched their much-anticipated follow-up to last year's award-winning "Gorilla" spot, which featured an oversized ape behind a drum kit, banging out the Phil Collins classic "In The Air Tonight."

Cadbury's new spot, "Trucks," features a similarly rocking soundtrack: Queen's "Don't Stop Me Know" is the soundtrack for airport vehicles drag racing (and discarding luggage) on a runway after the last plane has left the airport.

The spot garnered generally mixed reviews early on from the advertising blogosphere (here and here and here). It also immediately ruffled feathers in light of Heathrow's T-5 fiasco.

James Fremantle, industry affairs manager for consumer group the Airport Transport Users Council, branded Cadbury's campaign "insensitive bearing in mind what's happening at the moment."

And yet, it appears as if Cadbury is actually coming out ahead admid the fracas. Not only has the situation and news coverage increased awareness for the new spot, it has inspired viral mash-ups of the commercial with footage from BBC reports on the Heathrow debacle. Time will tell if Cadbury's bottom line stands to benefit.

In all, it's a fascinating case of two independent organizations' advertising and coverage directly impacting each other. While Cadbury's luke-warm launch heated up (and its brand may actually have benefited), the week's events have added a bitter aftertaste to Terminal 5's sour opening, and buried the Heathrow brand in yet another layer of grime.