Don’t get us wrong – technology’s awesome. It helps us live longer. It helps us be healthier. It helps us explore other planets. It’s the bedrock of modern civilization, and it’s what helps us push the boundaries of what our species can achieve.
Occasionally, it also gives us this.
It looks like a shot from a post-dystopian horror movie, but it’s not. Uber’s now using drones to advertise its uberPool service in Mexico City, Mexico. These drones carry messages such as “Driving by yourself?”, and hover over highways as cars pass below them.
If you thought your morning commute wasn’t bad enough, imagine being told off by a snarky drone as you try to negotiate through the gridlocked traffic.
And just pause and think about what’s going on here. This is a drone, a little thing that flies by itself. A decade ago, it would’ve been called a UFO. It’s the product of advanced physics, avionics, and generations of research into science and engineering. And what do we do when we get this technological marvel up and running? Slap a sticker on it to sell things, of course.
And who’s to say this promotion will stop with Uber? Imagine having a drone on the highway that tries to sell you insurance, or toothpaste. And why highways? Imagine having a drone that follows you around. Imagine a drone that follows you around and blares out messages. Imagine a drone that follows you around, blares messages, and drops stuff from the skies. I could go on, but I don’t want to give marketers more ideas.
I’m certain that marketing drones will be annoying. I’m also certain that marketing drones will be very popular. That’s the thing with technology – you spend years developing the Television, you end up with reality TV shows; you research into electronic acoustics, you end up with autotune and Justin Bieber.
We welcome you too, our new marketing drone overlords.