Hang onto the ambient airships

As we provided the Outdoor Watch (MW December 15) on the emergence of the new ambient media sector, Concord would like to reply to the letter from the two airship promotions operators (MW January 5).

The authors share our view of the huge potential of ambient media (that is, non-traditional out-of-home opportunities beyond conventional roadside and transport poster, such as colour trains, video walls and, of course, airships) and that these ideas can generate PR value on top of their conventional advertising impact.

But we differ in our definitions. Concord sees airships as part of the sector while the airship firms contend that their product – with its claimed integrated marketing potential – warrants a category of its own.

If you’ll pardon the pun, the latter standpoint is over-inflated. With the balloon only just going up to herald the arrival of the ambient sector, the airship companies should not try and float off on their own.

Alan Simmons

Chairman

Concord

London W1