Sat, May 06, 2006
Snoopy Has Some Competition...
It isn't everyday we read of a reported breakthrough in the
field of aerial advertising... and that's probably a good thing,
when you think about it. But the latest news out of Clearwater,
FL-based Hi-Tech Electronic Displays is too cool to ignore, and may
even represent a departure from the traditional approach of using
airships (like the Goodyear Blimps, for example, or MetLife's fleet
of Snoopy's -- Snoopies -- Snoopi?) for marketing purposes.
That breakthrough is a 30' by 70' flexible high-definition LED
screen, that is only one-and-a-half inches thick, offers full-color
display, and weighs only 900 pounds. That's a lot less than the
more conventional light-optic displays currently employed on some
conventional airships... as is the pricetag, reportedly
"substantially less" than $1 million.
The screen is already flying on a 178-foot blimp manufactured by
American Blimp in Hillsboro, OR.
For visibility reasons, the screen only displays one color --
red -- during daytime hours. At night, however, the screen's full
capabilities become apparent, showing full-color text images that
can be read from two miles away. The screen can also display moving
images -- and even real-time video -- visible within half a
mile.
"What is does is change blimps from fairly passive instruments
to an interactive mode," said Toby Page, marketing manager of
Lightship Group, American Blimp's marketing subsidiary. Page made
that comment to the Oregonian, during a recent unveiling to
potential customers at a Hillsboro restaurant.
Page said he hopes the new sign will increase his company's
business from Fortune 500 companies. The aforementioned MetLife is
already a client of Lightship's, as is Sanyo... and even the
Brazilian subsidiary of rival blimpmaker Goodyear.
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