The bag drop is the same as many others have, I found these at all but the smallest airports in Oz this year. The 'love LGW' video is great - if you live in their natural catchment area! Where you live and work is, I think, the greatest determinant of airport use. If there is a service from an airport closer to me, even if it's more expensive, the time and cost of travelling to a cheaper route, rarely makes up the saving.
Whilst there are 100s of routes from STN and LGW both of them are pain to get to from where I have lived in the last 40 years. Whilst LTN is becoming more of a pain, it is still fast and better to go there than to schlep across London, or round the M25. I am using LGW next week becuase of a cost benefit that does outweigh the awkward start to the journey, over the cost and convenience of LHR.
Airlines and airports continue to think that people will travel great distances to them. In the congested and expensive South East of England, the answer for me is simply No.