Argos marked the opening of a new store with an inflatable billboard that traversed the shores of Plymouth this weekend.

The ad for the retail giant, which was towed behind a boat, was seen by the thousands of people who flocked to the seaside to enjoy the summer sunshine on Saturday and Sunday.

It coincided with the 2010 Port of Plymouth Regatta which included a full programme of events on and off the water throughout the weekend.

This was the first time an amphibious inflatable billboard towed behind a boat had been used in the UK after the format was introduced in the US. The campaign was planned and bought by Mindshare and Zone, a division of Kinetic dedicated to delivering precision planning and buying of OOH media to local and regional advertisers in the UK. The billboard was supported by press, radio ads and a leaflet drop. Mobile Media executed the inflatable. 

The initiative is expected to open the floodgates for amphibious campaigns in the run up to the London Olympics in 2012 as there are currently no restrictions on such advertising techniques and a large proportion of the Olympic water sports are due to take place on England’s south-coast.