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Holiday Inflatables: Tacky or Not?

November 8th, 2011

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It seems like every year there is some kind of controversy about inflatables in local communities due to legal restrictions and ordinances. This time of year is when these issues become very apparent, considering the large amount of holiday inflatables that people like putting in their yards, whether it’s for Thanksgiving or Christmas or other holidays. Consider the rules in your specific community regarding having these types of decorations in your yard.

For instance, a story in Neighbor Newspapers discusses the proceedings of an Atlanta community regarding such inflatables:

“At its next meeting Nov. 15 at City Hall, the Sandy Springs City Council will decide whether holiday decorations can include inflated figures like the Frankenstein’s monster recently seen during a Halloween promotion at a division of auction house Red Baron Antiques on Roswell Road.”

These inflatables are explicitly prohibited, but the town ordinance in place puts a number of restrictions on them:

“Air- or gas-filled figures are prohibited in the current sign ordinance, but a proposed amendment may allow one less than 15 feet in height twice a year four weeks before and one week after a holiday without having to file for a permit.”

The council members didn’t come to an agreement about the Red Baron inflatable, primarily due not to safety, but to content, with one representative calling inflatables ‘horrible.’ This sentiment is echoed in a recent column from EMC saying:

“… inflatables are tacky and give a cartoon-like feeling to the holiday.”

What do think about holiday inflatables? Do you put them up in your yard around the holidays?

Inflatables in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

October 28th, 2011

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If you ask anyone a memorable part of Thanksgiving you will surely here people list off some of their favorite foods but it is also likely that you will here some talk about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This parade is the second oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in America and has been running since 1924 only ceasing in running during World War II because of the war’s need for rubber and helium. Every year people line up along the parade route and await the passing of the inflatables and entertainers. While the floats have changed over the years there have certainly been floats along the way that have become favorites and will remain near and dear to the hearts of the parade enthusiasts for years to come.

Felix the Cat – Felix the Cat is a special float because he was the first float to ever premier in the Macy’s Day Parade in 1927. Prior to the inaugural float appearance the parade goers were entertained by Macy’s employees and professional entertainers dressed up in new and exciting costumes and marched from 145^th street in Harlem to the Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square. When Felix premiered in the parade he was a loved character across the country and those attending the parade were likely thrilled and amazed at the larger-than-life cat floating before them.

Astronaut Snoopy – In 1972 after floats had been used for decades we saw the premier of Astronaut Snoopy floating along the parade route. This Charles Schultz character was a loveable pup that children and adults alike read about in their comic strips since 1950. Charlie Brown’s best friend was made into an astronaut for this parade to pay tribute to Apollo 11. This was not Snoopy’s first appearance and it would not be his last, he appeared in 1968 as an aviator and would appear again 20 years after his premier in the parade in 1988 alongside his avian pal, Woodstock.

Sonic the Hedgehog – This character is particularly relevant right now because as the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us you can expect to find him making his way along the parade route this year. This will be a second appearance for the blue hedgehog as he first appeared in the parade in 1993. Sonic was the first video game character to ever make an appearance in the parade but he would not be the last. There have been other characters in the parade who first found fame in television or card games and were then transformed into video game characters.

The route of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed over the years as have the featured characters but people continue to watch the parade from their televisions or from the streets lining the current route between 77^th and Central Park West and Herald Square. They are given the opportunity to see the floats, performers, and other entertainers along with Santa who steps out for the first time of the year at the parade.

Inflatable Steel Being Added to Cars?

October 14th, 2011

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It is no surprise that technology is always evolving very quickly throughout various industries at all times. This is no different for the world of inflatables, which lend themselves to make more than just bounce houses and inflatable slides. As I have mentioned before in this blog, inflatables are used for a number of purposes in safety and medical fields. For instance, an older post discussed how hospitals were beginning to use inflatables as a way to transport obese patients safely and efficiently. Inflatables have also been used in car safety tests, including the addition of inflatable seatbelts for children. Now inflatables are being considered in both design and function of some vehicles that haven’t hit the market yet.

An article from Motor Trend explains the newest way that inflatables are being incorporated into vehicles at a Swedish airbag company:

“…[it} has been impossible to achieve…those delicate, easy-to-see-around roof pillars. Fat pillars lend a cartoonish, brutish mien to every retromobile out there. The solution comes from an unlikely source — Swedish airbag supplier Autoliv — and, in fact, it leverages airbag technology. But instead of inflating a cloth bag, it inflates a folded steel tube that is integral to the vehicle’s body structure. Up until now, the only way to make a car capable of supporting one and a half times its weight on the roof (as required in 2012) was by giving all the pillars a thick, beefy section.”

Inflatable steel, you say? Not exactly. Motor Trend says that when an accident is detected, the car would pop off its interior trim and inflate a section of pleated metal that protects passengers (and driver) in a collision. The pillar that inflates up would actually use the same method as an airbag, but with much more force:

“The tube is made of 0.06-inch-thick steel that’s typical automotive-grade strength (58 kilos/square inch yield–high-strength steel is too brittle for this type of application). It’s welded closed on each end and weighs 3.5 ounces, representing a 10-percent weight savings. Cost is little more than the price of the inflators.”
Inflation safety systems are also being implemented in some Mercedes’ models in a side door impact beam, but this technology is readily available as of yet. It’s just good to see that we are making cars safer (and better looking!) by using inflatable innovations!

Inflatables to Bring Families to Your Event

October 6th, 2011

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If you are a charity organizer or simply a volunteer for your children’s school, you know how difficult it can be to get people excited for your planned events. Be it a small carnival with proceeds going to charity or simply a fun run, it can be hard to get people to attend, much less have a good time. Keeping this in mind, consider the effect that inflatables can have in these situations. By having one or two exciting inflatables at your event, families will have an excellent time. Here are some inflatables that are great at these functions:

Boot Camp Challenge – Some of the best inflatables available for events are those rooted in competitions between people – the competitive spirit is particularly alive when you pit mom vs. daughter or father vs. son. The Boot Camp Challenge is a perfect inflatable battleground for determining a winner in these matchups. Featuring several different types of obstacles like vertical pillars and lazer beams (elastic – not real lasers!) the Boot Camp Challenge is a great addition to your event’s entertainment!

The Lagoon of Doom – Here’s a particularly special inflatable that will get the whole family involved in the activities. Pick a pair of people and put them on the spinning log in the middle of an inflatable swamp. Whoever can stay on the log for the longest wins and the first to fall gets attacked by an inflatable alligator or two. So spin as quickly as you can to knock your family off the log!

Heavy Hitter – This inflatable is more a game of skill than it is of knocking over your mom or dad. A column of air balances a tee ball in front of the batter to swing at. If the batter can hit it into one of the target holes in the backdrop, they are the true home run hero! Better yet, this inflatable will actually return the ball to its original position!

That’s a Big Inflatable

September 30th, 2011

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The overall amount of strange inflatables that I have covered in this blog is pretty dense. There were inflatable jets, a big inflatable rat and even inflatable pubs that could be schilling beer anywhere after a brief inflating. You might not think that inflatables have been used like this before reading and now you have a fun fact to tell your friends! Today, I found a story about an inflatable that isn’t necessarily strange, it’s just really, really big.

According to a story in Bangor Daily News, a local amusement area that recently closed will reopen with an incredibly large inflatable structure:

“We’re adding the Adrenaline Rush Extreme, which at 2,200 square feet is the largest inflatable unit available in the U.S. and the largest indoor inflatable obstacle course in New England,” said [new owner Ryan] Hatch, who will also be adding an age-specific Mini Maine Zone area with inflatable play units for children ages 4 and under.”

The space – called the Maine Jump – is known in the area as an amusement center that rents out to people looking to hold events like parties and corporate retreats. Although it is certainly the most noticeable feature of the space, the 2200 square foot inflatable is not the only thing at the Main Jump, at least according to the article:

“Other changes include a 30-square-foot adult area featuring a 10-foot leather couch, leather chairs, Wi-Fi access, free coffee, a 50-inch high-definition TV with cable and a sports interactive area featuring football skills games. Once the weather warms up, Hatch plans to set up outdoor inflatable water slides, another obstacle course and inflatable movie screens.”

However cool this place sounds – consider just how big 2200 feet of inflatable goodness is. That’s roughly the square footage of a volleyball court! That’s definitely a serious inflatable space!

Inflatables & Team Building

September 23rd, 2011

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Any business owner worth his salt will tell you that team building is one of the most important elements in any effective company. Making sure that all of your departments and employees are capable of working together effectively is crucial to the financial and overall success of your business model. Team building exercises act as a way to improve communication within your company walls, strengthen efficiency and bring your team to an understanding of how to increase productivity by working together. While there are a number of ways to achieve these goals, inflatables are an excellent way to bring your employees together. Here are some of the inflatables that will help you with your company:

Human Foosball – Human foosball is a great inflatable when considering how your team is only effective when they work together. In this inflatable version of the classic table game, 10 of your employees get into a 50 ft by 30 ft arena and play a human sized version of foosball as the little men on the rods! Since the players are harnessed in together, they must move as a team to play effectively. Perfect for building unity within the office environment in a fun way!

Jacob’s Ladder – Having a friendly competition can also reinforce bonds made within your office and the Jacob’s Ladder provides a way to achieve this! Have two co-workers try and climb to the top of these unstable rope ladders as quickly as possible! It may sound dangerous, but it’s safe for everyone, especially with the inflatable floor!

Laser Battle – The ultimate in team activities that are both rewarding and extremely fun, a good laser tag game is an excellent way to make teams and show how working together is quite effective in real world and company situations. And who doesn’t love a good game of laser tag?

Halloween Decoration Ideas

September 16th, 2011

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Okay, it may seem a little early to start thinking about this, but Halloween is only a little over a month away from us. Instead of hastily picking out a costume or decorating at the last minute, maybe you’ll want to start thinking about your Hollow’s Eve plans right now. Speaking of decorations for the scariest night of the year, there are literally hundreds of ways to add elements of the holiday to your home in celebration. Here are some ideas:

- Cover the interior furniture of your home (at least the parts that can be seen by treat or treaters) with white – maybe blood covered – sheets to give the appearance that some type of strange, sinister events have taken place in the home. You can also add these types of elements around your home – i.e. some signs on the exterior of your house can be added, but make sure they are a little crooked. Perfectly aligned warning signs aw

- Making your food theme mimic disgusting body parts and other unappetizing things. For instance, you can use chocolate cake, frosting and a gummy worm to make a cup that looks like a pile of dirt. If you’re feeling particularly inventive, find a small skeleton hand for right next to the gummy worm.

- Carving a pumpkin can be a totally arduous process, but you don’t always have to go through with it every Halloween if you simply don’t have time. Buy some orange balloons and draw carved faces into them with a Sharpie.

- Have a stereo in your home pumping out classic Halloween songs like the Monster Mash and also having mood music in the background. This is definitely an effective and inexpensive way to ad a sense of fear and atmosphere to your home.

- Finally, consider getting a custom inflatable of a pumpkin, candy corn or whatever you’re thinking of so that your front yard doesn’t feel left out of the decorating.

Inflatables Find a Starring Role and Other Stories

September 13th, 2011

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Some months ago, I wrote about uses for inflatables that aren’t as mainstream as a jumper or bounce house you may have in your backyard from a graduation or birthday party. The last few months have been pretty heavy on safety issues regarding inflatables so I figured that now is a better time than never to start talking about the more entertaining uses for inflatables. There have been a few stories strewn about the news world lately:

Lights, Camera, Inflate! – Although I’ve mentioned the use of inflatables in movies as a means to fill audiences in movie scenes before, I never thought I’d see such widespread usage of this technique in Hollywood. Just a little while ago, The King’s Speech was using a pile of inflatable people to fill in the spaces of a crowd surround lead actor Colin Firth. Now it seems that many productions are using this method to cut down on costs, according to a piece in Wired Magazine:

“The Inflatable Crowd is a Santa Monica company that supplies seas of lifelike blow-up dolls to films like Iron Man 2, The Fighter, and Contagion. Outsourcing the role of “background actors” to inanimate objects isn’t new, of course; producers have used cardboard cutouts in the past. But those two-dimensional performers severely limit usable camera angles.”

Costing just $10 a head per day, producers are saving serious dough on those expensive CGI crowd scenes in many flicks these days.

Where’s My Hovercraft? – As a technologically advanced society, you’d think we’d have hovercrafts by now as a means of transportation, but it has yet to happen. Nonetheless, one ad agency is using the idea of advanced transportation as a means to use inflatable advertising. One story from The Providence Journal expands on inflatable concept cars, even if they can’t be used as anything but advertisement:

“Unfortunately, close up you’ll see there’s nobody in these cars. There can’t be — they’d sink. These Morris Minis can be pulled behind motorboats and they’ll stay up…”

Inflatables as Art

September 1st, 2011

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The world of inflatables is as adaptable as the world of experimental art. You may think I’m crazy for saying so, but hear me out. If you think about the number of types of inflatables there are in the world (inflatable bounce houses, inflatable yacht slides, jumpers, etc.) and think about the various kinds of art displayed at this moment, it’s not that farfetched. Interestingly enough, there is a recent work of art that asserts my notion.

In a recent post on Fast Co Design, a writer describes a project being taken on by ‘architects of air’:

“Peer inside the pillowy innards and you can see grown adults burrowing into the billowing neon tunnels, or gawking in quiet amazement at the stained glass-like domes.”

This is just the beginning of these inflatable installations, which are an amazing lighted journey that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. The currecnt project resides in Australia at the moment, outside of the Sydney Opera House. However, this is not the only project this firm has taken up in the name of inflatable art:

“For almost a decade, the firm has been building these pneumatic neon Hobbit holes, mounting 500 installations in an astounding 37 countries. Founder Alan Parkinson originated the concept in the ’80s and collaborated with a manufacturer in their hometown of Nottingham, U.K. to produce a proprietary PVC plastic only used on these inflatables.”

These inflatable structures are no simple task to construct and inflate either – even though the number of projects that have been completed is pretty high:

“Assembly…can take about four hours and reach a size of up to 1,000 square meters. The different components are zipped together and can be inflated to its full size — with domes about 10 meters high — in as little as 20 minutes. Each structure’s peaks and domes along its exterior results in a completely different experience inside, depending on how the sunlight is filtered and sliced.”

So you see? By utilizing something as simple as light, an inflatable can be transformed into a work of art!

Can Inflatables Get Cushioned By Lubbock Town Authorities?

August 26th, 2011

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about a town in Texas that was considering some very tough restrictions on inflatables and even a potential banning of them as a whole:

“One of the fees added is a minimum $25 to have inflatables on park property, with requirements on using town electricity and enforcing the need for an employee on hand at all times while in use. Although the small business owners are perturbed by these new (possible) regulations, the measure didn’t pass before. However, the town officials seem driven to move this legislation through…”

In a recent followup from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the Parks and Recreation board in Lubbock is proposing softer regulations for bounce house installation in city parks. These rules would put more parks on the bounce house-friendly list – much to the chagrin of park neighbors. However, the council is not really springing for the proposal:

“The rentals bounced out of obscurity and landed with a thump on an early June council meeting. Neighbors…complained of noisy generators and damage to grass they blamed on the party equipment. The earliest version of the regulations drew complaints from rental companies that said they had no warning of or input to the proposed rules.”

The article says that the first ordinance would also make the overall business of renting inflatables more expensive and difficult for inflatable companies. They would have required paid staff on hand at all times and the inflatables would be a huge risk due to regulations that would prevent any staking of the houses into the ground. This – along with the added $25 fee – would not only make the bounce houses more expensive in general, they would be at risk of blowing over, potentially putting people in harm’s way.

Lubbock’s Town Council should really think this over long and hard – if you ban the ability to stabilize bounce houses in the ground, safety is being thrown away. What do you think about this town council’s overall attitude towards this issue?