iHeartMedia called on Verge Aero’s industry-leading drone show technology on 15 August to add some high-flying, high-impact visuals to local station Q102’s broadcast announcement of its 102 Grand in the Sand competition.
Amid 2020’s pandemic restrictions, 102 Grand in the Sand switched from a physical treasure hunt to a virtual one, with lucky listeners winning prizes worth $102,000 dollars. To ensure maximum engagement for Q102’s announcement of the competition, local drone show innovator Verge Aero delivered the attention-grabbing aerial imagery. Although the show was flown in central Philadelphia, it was not pre-announced to limit social gathering.
Flying high above the Philadelphia Museum of Art – the steps of which are known to movie lovers everywhere from Sylvester Stallone’s 1976 film Rocky – the 11-minute drone show was perfectly synchronised with the music soundtrack and live announcements broadcast on Q102.
Verge Aero’s fleet of 130 drones created a colourful, choreographed performance, featuring the logos of iHeartMedia, Q102 and the competition sponsors, plus support for the Philadelphia Flyers ice hockey team, the Flyers’ crazy-eyed mascot Gritty, and of course, Rocky himself, gloves raised in celebration, accompanied by Eye of the Tiger on Q102.
This was the latest in a string of projects in which Verge Aero’s drone technology, custom-developed for the requirements of entertainment production, has proved a perfect tool for reinforcing branding and sponsorship around live events.
Emily Pearce, VP of Marketing, iHeartMedia Philadelphia Region, commented: “At iHeartMedia, we are constantly looking for opportunities to engage our listeners and advertisers in innovative ways. With the current pandemic, we had to get creative with Q102’s 102 Grand in the Sand. Nothing like this has ever been done in our industry, and Nils and Tony at Verge Aero were the perfect partners. Thanks to them, the drone show was a massive success and generated a huge buzz for our promotion!”
“Creating a show as part of a live simulcast was a first for us, and it was awesome to have such a great mix to work with,” said Nils Thorjussen, CEO of Verge Aero. “Events are all about engaging audiences, and it was fun to interact with the audience in a new way. Thanks to DJ N9NE, Buster Satterfield, Emily Pearce, and iHeartMedia for a great event.”