Seen lots of travel advertising brochures using kiteboarding but these seem unusually mainstream:















Is that guy static flying a LEI on handles using 80m lines? :shocked2:

Okay that's kinda wild? Where are these products marketed? No here in New England as far as I've seen.

This type of advertizing of the sport leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
The Zippo idiot mostly, Have to think of the company that is doing the advertizing, not the best, must be the cheapest.

MD and CS are both cheesy crap foods companies. Better to not have them. Just my opinion think what you like.

Direct TV flies satellite kites on 2 lines into orbit:http://ge.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/49256/sxi:2221828

I posted about Ronald McDonald with an LEI a few weeks back:

http://WWW.POWERKITEFORUM.com/viewthread.php?tid=23855

Marketing guys obviously missed something or didn't do their research,... Ronald is flying that LEI without a harness... All 4 lines are there, just no depower!

Kinda looks like he's traveling away from the kite too.

I thought it was a hoot.

Ronald McDonald flies LEI'S... who knew!

Kiting and it's use for marketing by third party companies with no relationship to the sport can get so much worse....



What's interesting is that some kite manufacturer signed off on this being a good use of their kites and let VW emblazon their tagline "The 21st Century Beetle" on the kite canopy (0:17).

ATB,
Sam

That is pretty much the most irresponsible commercial I have seen involving any sporting activity.

I am speechless, except for the profanity.

You guys got to think out side the box! Direct advertising product endorsement could be the best thing ever to happen to our sport.

Coke, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Lays Chips, Chevy, Land Rover etc could put money in your pockets and pay for lots of new stuff, equipment and SWAG!

Imagine, being a team rider for Coke? Imagine a buggy pilots suit that looks like NASCAR! WOW! Do they make them in 3x?

We have several hundred thousand square feet of rip stop that could be imprinted.
Add up the square meters of sail you have in your quivers. My small quiver has 40 squares and I know thats a drop in the hat for most of you all. But none the less it's bigger than a billboard that cost several hundreds a month to keep in the publics eye.

Flying billboards, similar to banners being pulled by planes off shore in tourist areas all year long. We could have "pit" areas and talk to passerby's and hand out flyers and coupons from our sponsors. I'd even give an autograph if asked. Why not? This could give the wives something to do!

Think of the possibilities. Let NAPKA monitor the media stuff for correctness and image to keep it positive and an eye on the safety aspect and not let the sport be known as a "Thrill Kill".

SHOW ME THE MONEY $$$$$

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCuBwx-ehIY

Quote:

Originally posted by MyAikenCheeks You guys got to think out side the box! Direct advertising product endorsement could be the best thing ever to happen to our sport. Coke, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Lays Chips, Chevy, Land Rover etc could put money in your pockets and pay for lots of new stuff, equipment and SWAG! Imagine, being a team rider for Coke? Imagine a buggy pilots suit that looks like NASCAR! WOW! Do they make them in 3x? We have several hundred thousand square feet of rip stop that could be imprinted. Add up the square meters of sail you have in your quivers. My small quiver has 40 squares and I know thats a drop in the hat for most of you all. But none the less it's bigger than a billboard that cost several hundreds a month to keep in the publics eye. Flying billboards, similar to banners being pulled by planes off shore in tourist areas all year long. We could have "pit" areas and talk to passerby's and hand out flyers and coupons from our sponsors. I'd even give an autograph if asked. Why not? This could give the wives something to do! Think of the possibilities. Let NAPKA monitor the media stuff for correctness and image to keep it positive and an eye on the safety aspect and not let the sport be known as a "Thrill Kill". SHOW ME THE MONEY $$$$$

Done....

Coke Zero
Bacardi
Tuule Energia
Evason Hua Hin Six Senses Spa
Complete Family Dermatology
etc.

http://media.flyozone.com/main.php?g2_itemId=20831

ATB,
Sam

and for those more difficult to inflate or launch LEIs and ARCs

Myaikencheecks Do you really want to have to dress like a nascar driver to go kiting?Do you want to have to kite with a soda in your hand making sure you hold it the right way? I would rather save my change and get what I can afford. I'm in this because of the people I meet and the sport it's self. Lets not make this football or baseball. Lets try and keep it about the sport and not the money.

I love the sport and the fellowship as well and make enough money to buy what ever equipment I want. But I also have something that you might need to develop and that's a sense of humor. Lighten up a bit and let your fantasies run wild once in a while. That's all I did. Sorry you were offended! Besides, they don't make NASCAR suits in a 3xl for fat men with a big butt like mine.
HA HA HA

I love that presentation .....

Man I don't get offended :frog:. And ask around I have a great sense of humor DAMNIT
I think if my plan works they will make suits that large. I am trying to implement a law that says politicians must wear all there sponsors on there suits. Much like Nascar. And some of them are real big Asses. Opps have real big asses.
But I'm serious about saving the image of kiting from things like that VW shot. I really think that sort of thing will only shed a poor light on the sport. And soon some dumb ass is going to try it and not only get his/her self killed but most likely others as well. Just not thought through all that well.

Quote:

Originally posted by MyAikenCheeks You guys got to think out side the box! Direct advertising product endorsement could be the best thing ever to happen to our sport.

Quote:

Originally posted by MyAikenCheeks I love the sport and the fellowship as well and make enough money to buy what ever equipment I want. But I also have something that you might need to develop and that's a sense of humor. Lighten up a bit and let your fantasies run wild once in a while. That's all I did.

Just for clarification...

I expect most people's sense of humour is intact and in fine shape.

Take it on faith... when you rent living space from cats, you have to have a sense of humour.

The reason that ad spots like the VW one and others irk or ruffle feathers comes down to the simple concept of access. Most people fly on public or semi-public lands at the sufferance and forebearance of the local powers that be. In many cases, they may or may not have a passing familiarity with powerkiting/kitesurfing/landboarding.

When decisions have to be made about what they consider suitable activities on these lands, they will either make a blind decision, or heaven forbid, look to the Internet to fill in any knowledge gaps. There's more than enough YouTube footage to convince the local bureaucrats that these activites should be banned as quickly and as vehemently as possible. When companies start putting them on TV adspots, they tend to permeate the political unconscious considerably faster than if someone has to be go surfing the net for it.

They won't see the sport or the fellowship. They'll see people flying kites beyond their skill sets or going out in unsafe winds. They'll wonder: "Would I let my son/daughter do that?" Replay the VW spot and then consider the age-old parental retort: "Just because all your friends jump off a bridge..."

If VW wants to sell cars, more power to them. When them selling cars impinges on our access to suitable flying locations, feathers will be ruffled and there will be disgruntled growling the members of the pack.

FWIW: The reason that the ISAF yanked kitesurfing and reinstated windboarding in the Olympics is because (political/SIG jockeying aside) they perceive the former sport to more "dangerous."

Would love to see more kites in the mainstream media... just leery of how they are portrayed in the attendant blowback.

ATB,
Sam

Sam you are once again the man with the well spoken word. I think while out doing errands I will visit the nearest VW dealer and ask if any one there has ever kited. And then invite them to try. I doubt I will get any takers even with my tricked out kite mobile. Maybe with the Buggy trailer too:bigok: But I think I will try it.