In South Korea, vacant parking lots automatically alert drivers using nothing but balloons and string

The Here campaign uses a simple system whereby a balloon automatically rises up to let drivers instantly know when a parking lot space is free.

While Germany’s ParkTag app uses smartphone-enabled crowdsourcing to alleviate the stress of finding a parking space, sometimes solutions can take a much more modest form. The Here campaign uses a simple balloon system to let drivers instantly know when a parking lot space is free.

Developed by Korea-based advertising agency Cheil, the system places a tethered balloon in the shape of an arrow in the middle of each parking bay. When a car drives into the spot, the string is pulled under the vehicle, pulling the balloon down. When it leaves, the balloon is free to float back up again, instantly alerting those nearby that the space is being vacated. The balloons are colored bright yellow and are large enough to be seen in even large parking lots. The video below offers more information about the project:

The Here campaign was developed for S-Oil – one of the largest petroleum providers in the country – which estimates that drivers in Seoul use a liter of gas a month cruising for an empty parking spot. The system could help reduce carbon emissions as well as frustration for drivers. Given this solution is extremely low-tech, it could easily be replicated around the globe. Are there other simple solutions to big problems such as this?

Spotted by: Harry Gamsu