For Argyll

We could very shortly find ourselves looking at the skies to see corporate logos disguised as clouds, rising up to 30,000 ft in the air, travelling up to 40 miles distance and visible for up to 30 minutes. The Flogo company has launched the first bespoke cloud and they’re on their way to the UK with the revolutionary product. They can produce the things at a rate of two a minute, to any shape the client demands and, in the USA, many of the big corporations have been branding the skies - Mercedes, Apple, Disney… and the company is close to overwhelmed with business interest. Inventor, Francisco Guerra, says: ‘Every major advertising company in the world has come to discuss their roster…. The response has been incredible.’ A prospective British distributor is John Hughes’s creative communications group, Get Involved. Made from air, helium and a small amount of surfactant, the ‘flogos’ are part substance and part ethereal. Potential clients in the UK must apply for permission from the Civil Aviation Authority. However, aircraft safety cannot be the only issue. Scotland’s best known ‘unique selling point’ is its unspoiled landscape and wild places. This is why people live here here and why they come here. Imagine watching the bird population on Islay’s Loch Indaal, below skies featuring competing corporate brands. We have passed on these concerns to Jim Mather, MSP, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism. He has replied to say that he shares the concern and has passed the matter to the relevant Transport and Environment Ministers.