KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has created an interesting Facebook gimmick for fans in Europe that not only helps the company with its branding with the help of Icemedia, but also incorporates users’ Facebook photos. Using the company’s application FreeLuggageTags, users may create luggage tags from Facebook photos, pre-designed KLM tags or upload a photo for customized luggage tags featuring a KLM logo.

We’ve written about the marketing efforts of different airlines on Facebook previously, what we found was that most stopped short of selling tickets but engaged in a variety of other promotions. Southwest Airlines most notably has given away free tickets on Facebook before, and while KLM isn’t giving away tickets, the company does seem to take its presence on the social network very seriously. The Wall of KLM’s Page is cluttered with responses from administrators thanking customers, wishing them luck and giving them travel advice.

KLM seems to be heavily promoting the app, it’s currently the default tab when visiting the airline’s Page, and consequently we’ve seen some good growth both in the number monthly and daily active users.

The app is very easy to use and pretty self-explanatory.

Once you allow permission the app walks you through the step-by-step process of designing your luggage tag and view tags previous users have created. You can use a Facebook photo, one of KLM’s pre-designed tags or upload another photo. Then you have a chance to edit the photo, rotate or enlarge it for example and then you enter your information to receive the set of two tags in the mail (free shipping).

Unfortunately for people in the U.S., the tags are only offered to people living in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. However, given that the Netherlands-based airline partners with the Paris-based Air France, it makes perfect sense that KLM is trying to spread luggage tags with its logos throughout Europe, where its biggest customer base is located.

KLM’s app seems to be a happy marriage between how a lot of photo companies are trying to profit off creating products with Facebook photos and good old fashioned free products with the company logo. In KLM’s case, however, the result seems to be particularly successful because it’s not only attractive and very pertinent to the services the company offers, but it’s also practical and so more likely to be used and seen by Facebook users’ (real life) friends.