Getting attention can be easy. People are always on their phones and tablets scrolling through social media. With so many distractions out there, it’s hard to get people’s attention anymore – but not if you use an advertising hot air balloon.
This is an opportunity to use your budget focused on brand awareness and generate a ton of value. Display ads, large media buys, and Facebook/Google ads for targeting and retargeting specific segments of prospects will always bring value.
However, regarding brand awareness, the most iconic brands like Disney and Coca-cola and billionaires like Richard Branson have used a secret advertising method for over 50 years. Hot air balloon Marketing. Surprisingly, corporate balloon programs are affordable and available to brands of any size.
Two billionaires used hot air balloons in the 70s and 80s to receive the most significant ROI achieved through a marketing campaign. Malcolm Forbes and Sir Richard Branson were intrigued by hot air ballooning because of its uniqueness and used them to promote their businesses. Balloons are nostalgic, rare, and capture the inner child in anyone that experiences one. In 2023, brands are utilizing balloons to see similar results in ROI on their marketing spend.
Marketers and designers are fantastic at designing billboards that reach millions of drivers daily. When was the last time you took a photo of a billboard and posted it to Instagram, Tiktok, or Facebook? Never right? Over 100M pictures of hot air balloons are posted on social media each year, and It’s no surprise that the most photographed event in the world is the Alburquerque Balloon Festival. If you see a balloon flying with or without advertising, it’s almost impossible not to snap a shot and share your photos on social media.
Rather than competing with sponsors on the ground, a hot air balloon dominates the sky. In addition to increasing a brand’s visibility, hot air balloons create a sense of wonder and amazement. A fun and exciting attraction for any event, hot air balloons are popular at festivals, sporting events, fairs, and corporate outings.
As with most sponsorship opportunities, there’s no limit to how creative advertisers can be when using hot air balloons. Balloons can be used to advertise a brand’s logo or message or even shaped into specific shapes and designs for added impact. Colors and lighting can also be incorporated to maximize the effect of the balloon in the sky. When properly executed, hot air balloons create a fantastic display that people will remember long after.
Hot air balloon advertising programs range in cost based on the activities they want the balloon involved in. The hard costs of a sponsored balloon system with fully printed panels typically run 110k-130k. Many brands provide a wrapped vehicle and trailer to both store and move the balloon around to different events.
Custom hot air balloon marketing programs can vary widely. Some hot air balloon advertisers want the balloon to fly in hot air balloon festivals and events across the country. Other advertisers want local flights near their business, and others want world-record attempts to garner massive media. We also find many brands utilize their hot air balloons at corporate events. The cost for the hot air balloon pilot, crew, fuel, and incidentals typically runs 3k-4k per fight. For large special events and tethers may run 15-20k per inflation. The cost of the equipment and pilots is minimal compared to the significant ROI brands find by utilizing hot air balloon marketing.
You can’t go wrong with a banner on the side of a hot air balloon! The low cost and high visibility make it perfect for local companies wanting to increase their exposure without purchasing a complete custom balloon system. Hot air balloon advertising Banners are 20-30 feet wide. The logo will be memorable enough that people won’t forget about how amazing you are –they’ll remember this experience every time they see or hear anything related in future ads from other businesses around town. The impressions our mobile billboards collect while floating overhead during major sporting events, festivals, and community events will skyrocket your brand visibility and awareness.
There is a reason that some of the largest companies in the world have hot air balloon programs. Hot air balloons are very similar to a billboard. The balloon company owns the equipment and pays for insurance, just like the billboard company owns the site next to a highway. The brand is essentially paying for the advertising on the balloon and has no liability. If Disney, Coca-Cola, and Amazon are okay with having hot air balloons, you should too.
