I’m not sure about this one. A Lexington-based company has developed a new way of getting corporate logos all up in our face. By filling the sky with them. Snowmasters – better known for creating artificial snow – has developed a method of floating logos (and other simple icons) across the sky, opening up yet another way of advertisers to pump their brands to a largely captive audience. Basically anyone who’s outside.
Known as Flogos (combination of ‘flying’ and ‘logos’) the technique combines helium, oxygen (and some secret stuff) to produces a foamy substance that looks and floats very much like a cloud. Using stencils, the substance can be molded into almost any basic shape. And that means Flogos can be converted into objects such as Disney’s Mickey Mouse ears, the Atlanta Braves Tomahawk and the Peace Sign (pictured). More or less, whatever shape a company or organization wants, the company can develop a stencil for it. And that means company logos aplenty.
Depending on the foamy formula used, Flogos hover at heights of 300 to 500 feet, can travel for 20 to 30 miles before safely (and without any environmental impact) breaking up. According to inventors Francisco Guerra and Brian Glover, Flogos can bounce of buildings without breaking up (that is kinda cool) and can sometimes reach altitudes of 20,000 feet if weather conditions permit (pilots will just love that).
The equipment required to launch your own Flogos can be leased for about $2500 a day and the company is in development talks with some fairly large advertisers who’ve shown more than a passing interest. While the first release of the product is restricted to white only, there are plans for introducing various colors. Must admit, and despite whatever reservations I do have, this could be a huge hit for Snowmasters.
But I gotta ask – do we really need cloud spam cluttering up the summer sky? While it has a certain geek charm, and sure to amaze first time viewers, this is something that could get annoying real fast if the company’s as successful as they hope to be, looks like they might be, and a lot of companies jump on the wagon, pumping their flippin’ Flogos out wherever a crowd gathers. Some safety concerns too.
In an Time Daily feature on the product, a company described reactions to test Flogos floating out of the factory –
Motorists in the area literally have stopped and gotten out of their vehicles to take a closer look when they see a floating Flogo that the company is testing from its plant on (Hwy) Lauderdale 7
Great. Cars stopping in the middle of the highway to watch a sudsy advertisement float by. Not a good idea people. Not a good idea. Anyway, you can check out more about Flogos on their website flogos.net.
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