LBS Advertising by Backpack: Thumbs Down
I totally get advertisements in the backseats of cabs and in elevators. You are there with nothing better to do and ideally the advertising is location-related and thus relevant. The play by Pack Promotions I don’t get. Pack Promotions equips individuals with GPS-tracked backpacks that provide static (outdoor, full sun I imagine) and video ads (best indoors or at night, per the website). Individuals wear these at events or anywhere an advertiser wants to get out their message. After the promotion the advertiser receives a map of where the backpack went; not sure how they manage indoor tracking, if at all.
The problem as I see it is that the advertising space is too small to be effective for crowds. Moreover, how does the wearer engage (if at all, that’s not clear) if people are looking at their backpack? This just sounds silly. It might receive the same response I saw to a fleet of three “Citizen Bank” branded Segways I saw on my local bike path a few weeks ago. No one seemed to care; they were too busy walking the dog, chatting to a friend (live or on the phone) or in my case, running.
In contrast, wrapping cars and buses in ads works. But those are large platforms that move around. And, it’s not rude to watch a car or bus go by! I look forward to when the MBTA busses get wrapped for holiday promotions. My favorite to date: dressing up the busses to look like a dozen donuts!
