Bike-parts firm uses hot air balloon to advertise in bold fashion

Hope Technology is using two hot air balloons in the vivid green of the company’s logo to advertise its cycle components in a new video. The video shows the firm’s Rachel Walker and Sam Flanagan take to the air over both Lancashire in the UK and La Molina, Spain, where Flanagan performs a parachute jump, landing in what looks like a cornfield. Walker and Flanagan are two of the Barnoldswick company’s most-accomplished riders. The video also features mountain biking professionals Lluis and Andreu Lacondeguy, as well as Nico Vink. The idea of advertising with hot air balloons came to Ian Weatherill, one of the firm’s co-owners, as he chatted with colleagues in the pub one night. When he was asked about the colours that he would use for the balloons’ envelopes, he suggested the company’s own. Walker added:

“They went ahead and did it and it looks brilliant. There was a lot of back and forth about getting the correct bright green colour.”

The larger of the two craft took part in a hot air balloon festival in Spain, which helped to provide further advertising for the company. Alan Weatherill, who is Hope Technology’s sales and marketing manager, as well as the brother of Ian, is hopeful about the balloons returning to the UK to fly over Barnsoldwick once again. With both ballooning and mountain biking providing an exciting pastime for those who take part, the matchup between the two in the video appeared to be a natural one for the Lancashire firm.