By Holly Martin
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It’s airplane banners flying over the crowded beaches at the Jersey Shore!
We see them fly up and down the coastline promoting Wawa’s “Hoagie Fest” or on a special occasion, popping the big question,“Will you marry me?”
David Dempsey is the owner of High Exposure Inc in Woodbine NJ. For over 40 years, he has been responsible for the Air Banners from Maryland to Connecticut, and everywhere in between. “Tomorrow we have eight to nine hours up in North Jersey, up the Hudson river, and back into New Jersey across Coney Island,” says Dempsey.
Messages that fly behind airplanes have been around since the 40s. “It started with bamboo poles and cotton letters,” explains Dempsey. “Now it’s fiberglass and ripstop nylon.” These banners can range from 3 to 5 stories long! They may look small from the beach, but they can be extremely large when you are face to face with these billboards.
An airplane banner can be used for any and every occasion. Birthday parties and wedding proposals have been seen from our shores. Even Wawa and other national campaigns like sports and festivals have used aerial banners. Anything you want to announce can be arranged with Dempsey and his team. They even offer gender reveal flights where they release a colored powder to make your announcement extra special!
Traditional letters for a simple message in the sky come in red and black text. If you want something a bit more fancy, special billboard designs and graphics can be made. Dempsey’s team can help design a banner that is readable from the beach or inland.
While on the beach, when you see the next “Happy Anniversary” sign fly by, start thinking about what you want to say by plane!
Holly Martin has been working in media since 2012. She has worked as a photographer and videographer throughout her high school and college career. Holly is a producer for WOND radio as well as fill in DJ for 103.7 WMGM Rocks. She loves being a concert photographer and working as event staff. She has worked as a reporter for Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods and submitted Editorials to the Philadelphia Inquirer. She has done multiple multimedia articles for Temple as well as Shore Local Newsmagazine. Her portfolio website is www.hollyamartin.com
