SkyBanners Soar Into New Skies

Press Release: SkyBanners International

22nd November 2007

SkyBanners Soar Into New Skies

SkyBanners, the NZ based business that developed gigantic helicopter banners for aerial advertising, has flown into new markets in the United Arab Emirates, and South America; Chile, Argentina, and Peru.

Brian Walker, owner of Skybanners International, has spent the last six weeks visiting Santiago, Chile, and Dubai in the UAE, conducted banner flight demonstrations for Civil Aviation Authorites, who closely examined, and approved, the safety systems and flight procedures Skybanners have developed during a decade of flying banners in New Zealand.

Skybanners have entered into a partnership with Aerogulf Helicopter Services, Dubai’s largest helicopter company, to target UAE advertisers and event promoters.

To announce the launch of this service, Skybanners produced a United Emirates flag and flew it over the Dubai Airshow last Thursday (15th November), drawing the attention of the huge media contingent at the event, and thousands of aviation business people in attendance.

The UAE has a significant outdoor advertising market, predominated by super-size billboards that can cost advertisers up to US$1million a year, for just one site.
Skybanners & Aerogulf will offer advertisers the opportunity to fly banners over the entire area of Dubai, covering a population of over 1.5 million people.
Research indicates that with just 2 or 3 banner flights a week, Skybanners reach up to 50% of the population covered in the flights, which is of significant appeal to advertisers and event promoters, at a lesser cost than static billboard displays, says Mr. Walker.
Skybanners dynamic nature also appeal to advertisers seeking to stand out in the market. “Flying banners at 40 knots, we can put on displays of twists and turns that really draw attention of everyone from miles around”

In Santiago (one of the largest city’s in South America with a concentrated population of over 6 million people), Skybanners signed a 5 year agreement with Ecocopter, Chile’s largest private helicopter company, to supply banners for the markets of Chile, Argentina, and Peru.
Ecocopter operate a modern fleet of helicopters in these three markets, and will handle sales and marketing of the aerial advertising banners.
Contracts are being negotiated with leading South American advertisers; Ecocopter will then undertake flight contracts for the banners, which are manufactured in New Zealand by Skybanners.

Mr. Walker attributes these exporting successes to the emphasis Skybanners place on designing their banners aerodynamically, so that they fly in the correct shape which enhances the ‘readability’ of the banners, and the detailed training for helicopter pilots, who he spends hours flying with, to instruct them in all the aspects of banner flying.

“There are only two other manufacturers of helicopter banners in the world, who compete against Skybanners in a various markets such as Europe and Asia”
Mr. Walker says. “Skybanners are still perceived by helicopter operators worldwide as leaders in the skies, due to their design, and we ‘fly harder’ than anyone else up there. We don’t drag around banners – we dance them around the sky”

The standard size Skybanner is a massive 1,500 square meters; 25m high by 60m long.

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