There are two things that can quickly ruin your long-awaited summer vacation on the beach. The first is the dreaded attack from above, with a seagull either swooping down to steal your snack or, much much worse, doing its business right on top of you. It’s supposed to be good luck, but it’s probably something even the most superstitious beach-goer would rather avoid. The second potential day-ruiner? Sunburn, of course.
Now this is going to sound strange. But a well-known cosmetics company has actually combined those two regular vacation traumas together, in an ad campaign with a difference…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KseE8eG4ZZA
You’ve probably heard of Nivea. The company is famous for its moisturiser and sun-care range. To market its products in a different way this summer, Nivea rounded up some engineers to develop a remote control bird that can fly along the beach and ‘dispense’ sunscreen to unsuspecting children below. Autonomous sun cream delivery isn’t something we’ve heard of before in the commercial drone space, so we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any further developments.
It’s a lot more clever than it looks as well. Nivea’s drone is fitted with a special UV camera that allows its pilot to identify kids not wearing sunscreen. Those in need of a top up appear much darker and at risk from harmful UV rays, which allows the drone operators to target the kids who need/deserve it.
It seems a classic case of a few engineers with a bit too much time on their hands, but there is method to the madness. Children are famously reluctant to apply sunscreen, so this could be a great way to at least raise awareness of its importance.
Malek Murison is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for tech trends and innovation. He handles product reviews, major releases and keeps an eye on the enthusiast market for DroneLife.
Email Malek
Twitter:@malekmurison
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