Just having a monster sized chicken or cool drink bottle in a shopping centre parking lot is enough to spark curiosity and alert customers to the fact that something out of the ordinary is happening. A massive balloon or colourful giant sized replica of your brand hovering in mid-air is also sure to attract attention.

That’s why humongous branded Inflatables – from towering arches at sporting events to air dancers and eye catching brand or product replicas at petrol stations – have become the must have’s in an overcrowded advertising space and the perfect way to create brand awareness.

“They are large enough to be unusual and can, at the same time, be designed to be easily recognisable and entertaining. Because they are certainly something that people don’t see every day, they will certainly stand out in a crowd and generate plenty of excitement. That’s why they always create interest,” says Kirsty Fonzari, marketing manager of global leader in portable branding solutions, Expand A Sign.

She notes that more innovative and tangible advertising solutions are needed to grab consumer attention in a world that is cluttered by multiple social media messages and inundated with traditional advertising solutions.

“Outdoor branding is ultra-important. Customised advertising inflatables have become more and more popular over the past several years and we expect that trend to continue in the new year. They have a certain WOW factor and demand attention as they bring your brand to life. They’re perfect for product launches and have proved to be the best way to maximise sponsorship at sporting events such as the Comrades Marathon and rugby and soccer matches,” she explains.

An added bonus is that, whereas more traditional forms of advertising have limited life spans and the spend is gone in a blink, inflatables can be folded up for re-use, she says.

The trick is to combine quality and innovation with plenty of imagination. That opens up a host of different inflatable options. While inflatable arches are perfect for sporting events where athletes need to cross a finishing line, product replicas and inflatable columns or brands are ideal for expos, product launches and activations.

“There is almost no limit to where you can position an eye catching inflatable – from shopping malls, to public transport hubs to office blocks and even property developments. With input from our in-house designers, we are able to help you to come up with something creative, colourful and even amusing that is sure to demand attention and engage customers,” says Fonzari.

Expand A Sign can custom design and manufacture inflatables of any shape or size and use advanced technology to ensure that the end product is colourful and life-like as well as lightweight, waterproof and easy to use.

She says that Expand A Sign is on hand to provide not only design advice but also come up with suggestions on how to bring this ultra-powerful advertising medium to life.

“We’ll not only help you decide on size but also help you to ensure that you plan ahead when using your inflatable. For example, will you have enough space to erect it and have enough space for guy ropes and pegs, if you need to use a fan, do you have a power supply close by or would you need a small generator?

The final bonus is that investing in an inflatable from Expand A Sign will not only help your brand but also help others. That’s because waste off-cut fabric from Expand a Sign’s products is used to manufacture items to generate funds for the company’s corporate social investment initiatives called Uzwelo Bags. This enables skills development, uplifts underprivileged communities and helps protect the environment.

For more information, visit www.expandasign.co.za

CANVEX customised wall canvas transforms interior walls into branding statements, billboards, huge artworks or creative backdrops. Already a firm favourite for designers, CANVEX is ideal for your office, hotels, retail stores, restaurants and homes.

Transform any design or image into wall fabric that won’t shrink or move with weather change. Quick and easy to install, CANVEX by Expand a Sign is robust, long-lasting, and made from non-toxic ink and recyclable materials and locally produced.

No weathering, no waste, just intensive colour and detail wherever you want it, whenever you need it. It is available in a width of 1.8m and can be as long as your space requires. It can also be relocated if you move.

Bridget Ward of Accelerated Education Enterprises says, “The Canvex murals have added an innovative solution to our in office branding. We really like the fact that the product can be custom sized, enabling us to brand wall to floor in any area.”

If you’re ready create your own canvas wallpaper for corporate or residential use, visit www.canvex.co.za or call 0860 744 688. Ends

A beach clean-up campaign this Saturday, paying tribute to World Environment and World Oceans Day, and in support of the Uzwelo Bags “Say NO to plastic” campaign, aims to remind Durbanites that 160 000 plastic bags are used globally every second, and that the five trillion plastic bags produced yearly could, side by side, encircle the world seven times.

To help save our planet, join organisers Expand a Sign and Uzwelo Bags at The Green Hub (on the Coconut Grove side of Blue Lagoon) from 8am until 10am. 

Durban’s InterCement team has already committed to adding 15 people to help in the clean-up operation.Staff and volunteers will be given gloves and recycled Uzwelo Bags to carry the litter.

Pictured are Tyron Govender and Donovan Pelser of Expand a Sign, with Sai Surajbali and Zamo Sithole.

For more information, visit www.uzwelo.co.za