Gar y Aires was a teenager in South Africa when he opened his first company with his best friend Oron Burstain. They named their venture AirBurst but years later, when Aires started his ‘inflatable advertising’ company with his brother Darren, the name AirBurst had to change for obvious reasons.
Above All Advertising, Inc., nearly seven years strong, was born into a tradition of radical innovation and it is still what propels the company today. They are widely known as the originator of the Flex Blade advertising flag, which is the attractive, ingenious, traffic stopping, flexible, and curved sign that tells oncoming traffic that a wireless store is nearby. It has often been copied but never duplicated, even by some of its best competitors. In fact, the durability of the original Flex Blade was recently recorded.
One morning, while driving into the office, Aires suddenly noticed a new flag shaped like his Flex Blade, waving at him from the side of the road. At first, he was a bit irked, “why didn’t they buy from us?” he thought, especially given a favored relationship with the store’s carrier. But like all good inventors, he recognized the opportunity to test his own product. On the same street from his competitor’s flag was one of his own, waving steadfastly outside a different independent, wireless store. The conditions were the same: same wind, same traffic, and same beautiful San Diego sky. “I actually counted the days that the flags were out there,” Aires explains, “so that I could test the longevity of the products. Our flag had been out there seven months, and I was amazed to find the other flag completely collapsed by day 39. Every time I saw a deteriorating flaw in the other flag, my ride into work got better. And this is one of our biggest competitors!”
When he tells the story, a grin is audible but he won’t express elation. “Not every independent store is aware that we are the original Flex Blade.” Aires safely guards what makes his the best, but he doesn’t mind saying that it was a matter of listening to customer suggestions in the early iterations of the Flex Blade that makes it what it is today.
Another original by Above All Advertising, Inc. is launching at CTIA 2008, which has a lot of their customers really excited. The patent pending, Aire Vue, is the latest version of Aires’ inflatable signs and has been created to answer one problem but winds up solving many more.
Sprawling suburban strip malls depend on drive-by traffic, yet often go unnoticed so far from eye view of the road. Also, suburbs are managed in a way that regulates outdoor advertising and ties the hand of store owners when they need to promote sales or simply communicate their presence to commuters driving by.
They created an inflatable frame to place advertising anywhere, making promotions affordable, portable, inflatable, collapsible, and re-usable. After seeing it for the first time, no doubt people will say “why didn’t I think of that?” The company’s low cost, patent pending design will win loyalty from carrier customers as they will be able to buy Aire Vue signs in abundance.
The Aire Vue comes in two (2) sizes and can be ordered with a full printed cover, printed panels, or as the inflatable frame only. It also comes with an optional package that includes: A special protective mat for the automobile and additional surface protection; 110-volt air blower; battery operated air blower; or a foot pump.
And since Above All Advertising, Inc. is also a full service, large format printer, they can create the outer cover with your logo or ‘special promotion’ graphics. They have been doing the blow-up theme for six years and have been truly creative and adaptable with the design of their inflatable signs.
Inflatable cell phones, helium filled (hot air shaped) balloons, inflatable dancers, and a lot more. Their concept has been so successful in the states, that they have built branches in London and Shanghai.
They also still have business in South Africa. “Doing business in South Africa is very different than in the U.S.” Aires, explains. “Business has to be face-toface and over coffee or dinner there, whereas in the States, deals can be done over the phone.” For now, wireless deals with consumers are still done inside the store, which is what makes his company so important in the industry.
Bringing foot traffic is about getting car traffic into the parking lot. With their new Aire Vue, the popular Flex Blades, and inflatable cell phones, now wireless stores - no matter where they are - have a better chance at being visible to drivers from both sides of the street and overhead.
More Information About Above All Advertising, Inc.:
Above All Advertising, Inc.
9080 Activity Rd. Ste A
San Diego, CA 92126
Toll Free: 866.552.2683
Fax: 858.777.3537
Email:
Web: www.abovealladvertising.net/