Remember the Future? It's Here.
And it's coming to Miami Beach next week.
by Nick Coston, posted Thursday, April 24th
“If someone has the time to talk to me, I’ll talk to them”. Bill Veeck, Sr, owner Chicago Cubs and dad to Bill Veeck, the innovative and unconventional owner of The Chicago White Sox is quoted as saying close to 100 years ago. Bill Jr was a family friend of ours from Chicago and I often quote him and his storytelling. He was also famous for removing his office door completely so that whoever he spoke to, there were no secrets, and anybody could walk in and out. It was a deliberate choice to encourage an environment of collaboration, make everyone feel welcome in his office, regardless of their position in his organization.
The latter quirk is tough to do now while working remotely, however the line about having time to talk, nowadays by phone, email or text, resonates with me. I’ve been following that mantra since high school. Seems to work well for someone who likes to chi-chat.
Conversely, maybe that’s why I never get anything done.
Anyway, last week I got a call from my good buddy, the quickly rising OOH star Deakin Bell, who now works on his own. Watch this space as I continue to pound the line that similar peeps who come out of sales are our best rising stars in OOH. Although I spent plenty of time with Deakin at the recent IBO Conference where he emceed most of the program, this call was about a new OOH ad product he is representing here in the U.S. While I receive calls like this almost weekly from creators, inventors, reps, anyone who has the latest and greatest OOH ad display product, most never excite me as much as this baby did.
Without getting into the weeds, the company he reps and advises for is called Heli-D. Hint? Heli stands for helicopter, and you all know what that is. Remember the classic film, “Blade Runner and its sequel with their cool flying full motion with sound floating billboards? This is close, just with better tech, real dwell times as these whirly bird can stay in one place for a while as it hovers. Think of an aerial banner that is being pulled along the shorelines of your favorite beach behind a single engine prop plane. Except this digital version can stop, hang for a while, change copy and be seen in hi-res LED tech. Then turn around and do the same thing while heading in the opposite direction.
It's magic, like in Blade Runner, minus the sound and the creepy hologram lady talking to you. Described as an “aerial digital billboard that is unlike anything in the market” this OOH mind blowing beauty of a billboard has already launched in Dubai and as we speak is being shipped to us here in the U.S. I’ve been told that HELI-D will be in the skies shortly after this week’s POSSIBLE Conference for some incredible viewing on the Miami beach’s.
What timing. Anything’s POSSIBLE, aye?
HELI-D ‘s helicopter double-sided flying video screens ad spots are available as 100% share of voice or split out with a rotation of 4 advertisers. Screens use full motion video content. The company is owned by its parent company, Cannes Lion Award Nominee Remarkable Media, the innovative aerial media, experiential and imagineering company based in Australia. Both principles-founders of HELI-D, Simon Powell and Ryan Osbourne, will be on hand at POSSIBLE, along with Deakin who these days can be seen everywhere there’s OOH. There may be 3 of him, I lost count.
Similar to previous groundbreaking OOH products I’ve written about, this came about by simply taking the time for an incoming call, listening to the pitch and giving them the consideration all new pitches deserve. You take the time to call, I’ll take the time to yak.
This one’s a whopper.
Bill Veeck would have been proud. After all his “Martian stunt”, pulled in old Comiskey Park back in 1959 featuring a real-life landing of “Martians”. Played by little people, the Martians were delivered via helicopter onto the field, capturing the Hall of Fame players, starting shortstop Luis Aparicio and second baseman Nellie Fox, who at the time were the shortest and most popular players on the field.
No joke, this happened. So will flying digital billboards. Also, not a joke. Imagine watching a movie trailer floating by you up in the sky? Think about that one while you sip on your pina colada.
See you on South Beach next week? You don’t want to miss this. It’s going to be like Opening Night on Broadway, OOH style.
Flying Digital Billboards. Who knew?
You can find detailed information at their colorful web site, www.heli-d.com or just say hey to the Heli-D guys at POSSIBLE.
That’s why we go.
