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4 Top Examples Of Aerial Advertising From Van Wagner’s Hall Of Fame

April 8, 2014


4 Top Examples Of Aerial Advertising From Van Wagner’s Hall Of Fame featured image

The best aerial advertisements often elicit a double-take. You want a banner with something funny or clever, or a really good photo or picture. You always look for something that will get someone to stop and say, “Wow, that’s really funny,” or “Hey, that’s clever!”  This format has the unique ability to pull people out of their routines and grab their attention.

To give you some examples, we showcase four of the all-time best examples of banner advertising.

Reebok Formation

Reebok’s marathon campaigns: The shoemaker had a presence at both the Boston and the Miami marathons that was funny, effective and engaging that used multiple banners flying at once.

In Miami, the first banner said, “Be kind to your implants. Run easy, Miami.” The second banner said, “Heat stroke, not fun. Run easy, Miami.” For the Boston Marathon, one banner said, “Why hit the wall? It hurts. Run easy, Boston.” Another banner said, “The British aren’t coming! The British aren’t coming! Run easy, Boston.”

These banners used humor to convey a message, and they did so very effectively. By using banner copy that was locally targeted, they really kicked up engagement.

Snapple Aerial Billboard Cutout

The flying Superman Snapple Bottle: Snapple had an aerial advertisement that was a die-cut banner of  a Snapple bottle with a cape. When people hear a noise overhead, they always look up and this approach was effective on two levels.  First, it was funny and got people engaged and amused.  Second, the marketing message was clear:  Drink Snapple and become a super hero (and don’t we all wish we were?).

This is a great example of the power of this advertising channel.

Geico aerial billboard

The Geico Gecko: Geico is really effective at using aerial advertising. The insurance company tailors its banners to each event. There’s a Geico banner with a football for targeting football games, for example, and another for Supercross motorcycle racing events. Since it is such a sledgehammer brand, Geico simply uses the gecko with a simple addition of whatever sport it’s flying over. Geico does a great job of relating to its target audience.

HBO aerial billboard

HBO’s “Eastbound & Down”:  HBO used humor and a cross channel approach to kick off the season for this popular series.  The banner said “K.P. Lover’s Back” with a funny picture of the show’s protagonist, Kenny Powers, and a phone number to dial. When you called the number, there was a voice message featuring Kenny Powers. By using comedy to grab people’s attention, and  integrating the phone number into the campaign, this campaign packed a powerful punch. Clearly HBO recognizes that the more ways you can engage your audience, the more effective you will be at building brand awareness.

Whether through airplane banners, blimps or even skywriting, aerial advertising gives brands a nearly unlimited number of unique and engaging opportunities to grab people’s attention and get them engaged.

Have a great banner advertising story to share?  Please comment below — we’d love to hear it!

And…if you have any questions about what we can do for your brand or client, please feel free to contact us!  We’d be happy to provide you with some background of our aerial advertising opportunities.

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