Today, you do not follow advertisements, but advertisements follow you. On wheels. They are so numerous that they are getting up front, close and personal. We are not talking about the static billboards that dot the city.
The new player in the world of creativity is the scrolling billboard which is placed atop small vans. This concept which originated in France in 1992 has taken the UAE by storm.
"The concept is innovative. No doubt it's a welcome change from the usual billboards, but I wonder whether it will distract motorists. I was distracted," said Amit Kulkarni from Dubai who comes across them on his way to work.
"I won't call them distracting. I feel even the large electronic billboards can be distracting, a pretty woman spotted standing on the side of the road to hire a cab could also be distracting. I find the new scrolling billboards quite interesting," said Yousef Ahmed, another motorist.
One can spot these mobile advertisements in various key areas of the city. The change of location depends on the requirements of the client.
Khaled A.R. Chehabededdine, general manager of Roly-Pub Emirate, was the first among four players to bring the concept to this part of the world. He said that mobile publicity is already catching up in Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Bahrain.
"Unlike the static billboards we can choose the flexibility of moving to different locations. People are curious to know and see what is scrolling. For example we look at the stars at night but our eyes follows the shooting star. There is an immediate impact.
"This is exactly the effect and impact that scrolling billboards achieve. It is this impact on the masses that led Dubai Police to run their public awareness campaigns on drugs and road safety on the scrolling advertisements," he said.
"The innovation comes according to the market requirements. In the advertisement field, where competition is fierce, it is survival of the fittest," Chehabededdine added.
Gulf News
