Hunter Boots approached us here at ABC Inflatables in the late summer having been very impressed with the 10 meter high inflatable Burberry Bears we made last year. They asked if we could make a giant inflatable representation of their luxury backpacks that were just being released on the market. This was part of their “Hunt the backpack campaign” to digitally engage their audiences by using social media clues to lead people to the hidden backpack inflatables. You can read more about the campaign here.
Naturally, we said yes but, because we have a great deal of experience of setting up inflatables, we also gave them our advice. We knew that some of the locations suggested, both here in London and abroad in New York and Tokyo would not have the space for the size of inflatables that they envisaged. Their original idea was for extremely large inflatables at 10 meters high. We recommended that we produce some of them at 7 metres high as this would fit their venues but still have a massive impact.
As a result, the Astoro Place inflatable in New York was the same size as the Burberry Bear – we knew from experience that this location was only big enough for a 7 metre inflatable.
We see consultancy as part of our job here at ABC Inflatables. It is something we are good at, thanks to our long experience of the inflatable world (over 75 years combined experience!). This means clients can have confidence in our advice and we ‘hold their hands’ through the practicalities and decision making process around their inflatables. This helps them decide on the best size and design of inflatable to suit their product and its purpose – both from a promotional and marketing point of view as well as the most cost effective and practical point of view.
Although we could glibly say ‘yes’ to a client’s wish for a giant inflatable at any size, we take every enquiry seriously. We know there are many issues to consider and it is not just a question of taking the client’s money. Even at our expense, we always put optimising the client’s budget and promotion first.
So it was we made a mix of 10 meter high and 7 meter high inflatable backpacks for Hunter, to be used at their first promotion in London in early October. These were also used at their subsequent promotions in the USA and Japan.
We worked very closely with the client on the design of the inflatable backpack in the first instance. This included us choosing a material which closely resembled the material of their own product. We also paid particular attention to small design details that mean so much to a client, in this case down to the size and colour of the stitching and lines as well as the zips and tabs. The highly authentic end result is incredibly important to a high and luxury manufacturer.
Whilst the inflatable backpacks were in production we visited several prospective sites in London to advise on their suitability and again gave the client the benefit of our experience and inflatable knowledge. With the wonders of modern technology we took virtual tours of the locations in New York and Tokyo.
Communication is paramount during a big project like this. We kept the client informed of how the inflatables were progressing in production and once we had completed the first one, the black 7 meter inflatable you can see at Box Park, Shoreditch, we invited the client to come up and see it in our workshop in Banbury.
Like most clients their first words were ‘Wow! We didn’t realise how big it was…!’
And this was a little one! The 7 metre high inflatable backpacks are pretty big but the 10 metre backpacks are massive!
One of the most important services we offer to all our clients is our ABC operational services. Our quotes include the cost of one or a number of our trained and experienced ABC operators who will install and inflate the inflatable for a client. We do this, whether you have commissioned a helium filled exhibition sphere or a site marking blimp – or in this case a number of giant cold air filled, ground standing inflatable backpacks!
Due to the size and quantity of the Hunter inflatable backpacks we had a crew of nine ABC operators. They worked tireless to install and inflate the inflatables over a two day period and, together with assistance from the Hunter crew on the ground at all the sites, the inflatable backpacks went up on time and without a hitch.
We all really enjoyed being part of the Hunter backpack promotion and we made a great partnership with the team at Hunter. So if you have a creative idea that you would like turned in to a giant inflatable centrepiece, just like Hunter, then please get in touch.
You know we will always give you the benefit of our experience and our advice is priceless!
Contact us here or just ring us on 01295 278600, email us at sales@abcinflatables.co.uk
