Advertisers aiming to reach high-flyers with no alternative distraction will soon have a new method: adverts the size of three football pitches seen by plane passengers coming in to land.UK-based Ad-Air launched its new service in London on Tuesday, offering brands the chance to place huge adverts near the runways of some of the world’s busiest runways.

Ad-Air, backed by $10 million of private equity finance, said it had spent five years securing sites around the world’s busiest airports including London Heathrow, Paris, Geneva, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi.

The first advert will appear in Dubai next month.Paul Jenkins, managing director of Ad-Air, said the adverts would appear in “clutter-free environments and moments free of any other commercial messages.”Operations Director Haakon Dewing said the adverts could develop to produce a moving image that starts each time a plane comes into sight.The adverts, which are low to the ground and 20,000 square meters in size, will only be illuminated where local legislation allows.

Starwood Hotels takes unusual steps to market the Westin brand.

Most hotel advertising follows a formulaic approach; typically, such promotional graphics feature luxuriant beds or in-room amenities that entice would-be patrons to relax or optimize preparations during business travel.

Starwood Hotels, which owns the Westin Hotels & Resorts brand, bucked the trend when it developed its $30 million, multi-platform campaign that promotes the Westin brand. Eschewing traditional hotel advertising themes, Deutsch Inc. (NYC), Starwood’s agency of record, executed a campaign entitled “This is How It Should Feel,” which features exhilarating or sanguine imagery, such as sky divers or a rock garden, to equate enthusiasm to travel.

Deutsch and Mediavest (also of NYC), the project’s media buyer, hired Atomic Props (Oakdale, MN) to fabricate 3-D billboards that provide a larger-than-life forum to breathe life into these whimsical designs.

Measuring 26 ft. 3 in. x 24 ft., this bloom, by any other size, would not be so sweet. Atomic Props fabricated each petal from Alcan Composites’ Sintra® with heat guns, which formed them into shape, and faux painting before affixing them to the steel frame. The bloom comprises sculpted, hardcoated, expanded-polystyrene (EPS) foam.

Against a digitally printed “wild blue yonder,” Atomic Props captured the freedom and excitement of travel with these coated-EPS-carved skydivers who vary in size from 6 ft. 4 in. to 11 ft. 2 in. They’re embedded into the board with an integral steel armature and painted to match client specs.

Atomic Props created a megasized rock garden, the quintessential Zen symbol of tranquility, to convey an air of relaxation to harried motorists. The 12 ft. 6 in.-wide centerpiece from hardcoated EPS. The moss comprises painted, synthetic fur sealed with flexible glue, and the 14-ft.-long rake comprises sheetmetal and wood rods and dowels.
[LINK] via Sign Web

From Cramer-Krasselt

   So, on the the weekend of September 21-23 the Motocross of Nations was held at Budds Creek Motocross park.  The event known as the  Olympics of motocross has not been held in the United States in twenty years.   The reason, well . . . the rest of the world doesn’t stand much of a shot at beating the US on there tracks much less on ours.  That trend continued, each country sends three of there best riders and there were 30 country’s represented. Ryan Villopoto Killed it, Dude I’m talking he smoked the worlds best riders on a smaller cc bike,  the Greatest motocross racer of all time Ricky Carmichael came from last to third in the first moto and Won the third moto.  Timmy Ferry the third rider for the US team rode strong coming from last in the second moto to finish fourth and second to Carmichael in the third moto.   Why does this matter to Bluemedia you ask, let me tell you.  Firstly Blue is always down with the USA, sending containers of items to the troops(I know that they got all my Maxim’s).  Secondly, Dude this is my post and that’s where I was PUNK.  If you want to check out the highlights  www.motocross.com
So, back to business.  I-15 southbound, there is a Smith optics sticker on the sign Vegas 14 miles.  Not a good placement but it sends a message, you cant miss it.  The person who stuck it was in a hurry no doubt, so I’ll cut them some slack.  Remember not to be in such a rush “If your doing it right, your not doing anything wrong”.

Word Prybar

Rogue Agent

Vehicle Graphics are getting some love this week in the NY Times.  The August 27, 2007 issue featured vehicle ads for which companies pay motorists, or even give their brand ambassadors free cars. In exchange for driving a car that serves as a mobile ad, the drivers receive a monthly payment, but may be instructed to park outside whenever possible, not smoke, litter or swear in their vehicle, and attend a monthly influencer event where they hand out samples or coupons. They also send reports with photographs to show where their cards have been.

The article cited venture-capital firm ARD Ventures’ study that motorists and pedestrians see a vehicle’s advertising message as many as 70,000 times a day. Also, it pinpointed vehicle wraps’ beginning in 1993, when PepsiCo. Purchased the rights to paint six city buses in Seattle with its logo. Instead of putting the buses in a paint shop for six weeks, the company was persuaded to have the buses wrapped using a 3M vinyl. The wrapping process took two days then, but now takes just a few hours.

The New York Times article featured Brian Morris, owner of The Ugly Pool Guy company sitting atop one of the 30 vehicles he has had wrapped by bluemedia to advertise his company.
http://www.wefixuglypools.com/

According to this article on Gizmodo.com, John Nack (senior product manager for Photoshop) has confirmed the development of Photoshop Express.  When released, it will be an intuitive online photo editing package that is entirely free.

By no means, is the online application intended to replace Adobe’s current offerings,  rather “make Adobe imaging technology immediately accessible to large numbers of people.”

This announcement follows Adobe’s implementation of Premiere Express, their online video editor, and it signifies a fairly progressive market plan by Adobe.  In a content creation culture where every teen is a video editor, the democratization of powerful multimedia tools online allows Adobe to reach out to this new generation without abandoning their industry professional bread and butter.

The Bay celebrates Fashion Freedom

The Bay challenges women to embrace fashion freedom for latest campaign called “Boom!”

BOOM! Is the latest campaign the Bay is launching to celebrate the fall season. The campaign which launched today with “fashion freedom protests” outside key Bay retail locations, is one inspired by the baby boom generation. Boomers are brand- savvy and discriminating, preferring the best in fashion, décor and electronics – all of which the Bay offers.

It’s all about reconnecting with a core target audience. Boom! nods to her ‘60’s and ‘70’s history of rebellion and protest, but this time, it’s about freedom of expression, and basically, wearing what feels good now. It’s about feeling good in your own skin and wearing clothing that makes you feel and look fabulous.”

For just a second or two, some Valencia homemakers saw themselves Monday on Wisteria Lane – that perfect street in the perfect suburb that’s home to perfectly beautiful, flawlessly dressed and hopelessly dramatic “Desperate Housewives.”

It came at midday, when they stepped out of the SUVs and minivans that crowded the Ralphs parking lot and onto L.A.’s newest advertising medium – the stripes that delineate the spaces.

They looked, they read, and wondered whether this parking space was reserved and whether they should move.

Then they got it.

See the rest of the article here . . .

click image for larger image.

Last week, Jim Beam placed what is said to be the world’s biggest outdoor ad for a distilled spirits company. A 32,000 square foot building wrap measuring 400 feet tall will be affixed to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas covering 40 stories of the hotel.The ad is celebrating September being named National Bourbon Heritage Month.b(Image courtesy of Miss Shari via Flickr.)

The projects purpose was to allow drivers to experience the Ford pickup’s attribute of softness on hostile surfaces. In order to achieve this, several floor graphics were imprinted with cracks, snow and/or mud in various city streets. Next to them, a road signal that read “This is how it feels, Ford Ranger” was placed. Drivers drove through a difficult road without feeling it; situation that led them to experience the unique softness of riding in a Ford pickup. The floor graphics were placed in lateral streets and parking areas with speed limits that didn’t exceed 10 kilometers per hour, with the objective of looking out for the driver’s safety.

Advertising Agency: JWT Santiago, Chile
Creative Directors: Matias Lecaros, Sergio Rosati
Art Director: Matias Lecaros, Sergio Rosati
Copywriter: Matias Lecaros
Illustrator: Ricardo Salamanca
Photographer: José Claro / Agencia Cuatro
Additional credits: Andres Mardones
Released: December 2006