January 2, 2009
With the barrage of highly competitive ads on TV and in print, many are setting their sights on aerial advertising. As an airplane flies over a crowd of people, attention is drawn to their message streaming in the wind and there is no competition in sight!
Aerial advertising has been used to promote a business, a particular product, or even to propose marriage. It is a quick way to reach a large select audience with a message that is almost guaranteed to be read. The key is a well designed message that is easy to remember.
1. Know where you are headed. What would you like to have happen as a result of this advertising? Jot down your ideas and any creative ways to convey that goal through a simple message. Then discuss your idea with a design team. Compare your ideas with theirs and come up with a concept you feel will work for you.
2. Express the goal you have established in a message. The message may be long (some aerial banners are over 100 feet) or it may simply convey information about the location of further information, such as a website. Even a logo, if well known, can convey the message desired.
3. Once the banner is designed, talk with the experts about how and when the message can be delivered. Aerial ads are flown over beaches, fair grounds, concerts, ballparks, even rush hour traffic. Why not read something floating by while stuck in traffic. The best time and place will be determined by the nature of the product or message.
4. Determine of you want to design the banner yourself or have an expert do it for you. Of course, you can save some cost by doing it yourself but don’t let this be the only factor. The message must be attractive and easy to remember to be effective.
Many advertisers ask, “How long will people view my ad as it flies by”? The average view time for an airplane message is about 17 seconds. That is considerably longer than the few seconds a newspaper or magazine ad is viewed. Consider also that it is the only ad that will be seen or heard for those 17 seconds and they can’t ‘flip to another station.’ Also, the plane usually flies over an area multiple times and each time the message is brought to the minds of the people below.
You have a product, a design, and a time, and place. Banner advertising has proven effective. Picture your message streaming over a crowd of watchers. Give aerial advertising a try and see if your revenues do not increase as a result.