The Skywhale – a 34 metre-long hot-air balloon designed by sculptor Patricia Piccinini to mark Canberra’s centenary in 2013 – is currently in Brisbane for the Australian Performing Arts Market. The balloon’s design is modelled on a whale with multiple mammaries that hang from each side & certainly attracts attention wherever it goes.
While the Skywhale itself has nothing to do with marinas or self storage, it did get me thinking about attracting attention. For instance, Vanguard Self Storage has a former RAF Hawker Hunter fighter jet on their roof, plus an artillery gun and an armoured vehicle on their facility grounds. Similarly, Ben (of StorMan Australia) recently spotted a unique car storage solution while visiting the UK.
Whether it’s advertising at the local sports club, using flags, tethered air balloons, wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men or roadside temperature gauge & clocks that become landmarks for passing highway drivers… it all makes a difference and, most importantly, gets you noticed. So what clever things do you do to attract attention to your self storage or marina business? Let me know via the comments below!
Skywhale Facts
- The design has divided opinion, as has the $300,000 cost of the project.
- It is 34 metres long and weighs half a tonne, at least twice as large as a standard hot-air balloon.
- It took 16 people seven months to make, using more than 3.5 kilometres of fabric and 3.3 million stitches.
- Skywhale can carry a pilot plus two passengers to an altitude of 3,000 feet.
- It will be tethered to the Brisbane Powerhouse until Friday 21st February 2014 (weather permitting).
