Airborne drone ad over Toronto catches eyes, criticism
Posters online suggested the drone swarm departed from an area near Fort York.
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It was a swarm that took the city by surprise, but the company behind it says they secured the proper permissions.
People in Toronto Thursday evening reported a strange sight — what appeared to be a swarm of drones displaying a gigantic airborne ad for PC Health.
Videos posted online show the ad consisting of a static “ASK PC HEALTH” logo, topped by what appeared to be animated words resembling those being typed into a computer.
“Do I really need 8 hours of sleep?” the ad displayed in a video clip recorded and posted to the /r/toronto subreddit by Reddit user Fancy_Choice_1801.
That was followed by “What are the symptoms of insomnia?”
Other clips posted online feature flying questions about melatonin, and a large “Your health questions, answered” complete with a flying QR code.
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Posters online suggested the drone swarm departed from an area near Fort York.
The ad appears to be related to a Thursday announcement by Loblaw regarding a new AI-powered chatbot, designed to deliver answers to health-related questions.
“Today, PC HealthTM launched PC Chat, a free AI-powered health tool built in Canada, based on Canadian clinical guidelines, providing Canadians a convenient place to ask health questions and get plain-language information in real time,” read the opening paragraph of a press release issued Thursday by Loblaw Companies Limited.
“New research commissioned by PC Health found that 88% of Canadians searched online for health information in the past year, yet nearly half (46%) remain unsure whether the information they find is accurate, one-third (33%) encounter conflicting advice, and more than one-quarter (26%) say there is simply too much information to sort through.”
Loblaw got approval for drone show
In a statement, a Loblaw spokesperson concurred the drone swarm was indeed meant to advertise their new AI-powered health service.
“Inspired by the health questions many Canadians find themselves asking late at night, the one-time drone show held in the downtown core was designed to illuminate those moments of uncertainty and help bring awareness to the launch of PC Chat, a new free AI-powered health tool from PC Health, built in Canada, by Canadians,” the statement read.
“The drone show was intentionally short and carefully considered to minimize brightness and disruption.”
Proper permissions were obtained before the swarm launched, the spokesperson said, including permission from Fort York and airspace approvals via NAV Canada.
Redditors were not amused
Reaction to the ad online was largely negative.
“My sky is not your billboard,” commented one Redditor, while another expressed safety concerns.
“It almost caused an accident on the Gardiner,” another Redditor commented, while others suggested contacting the city to complain.
Others used the ad as an opportunity to express their displeasure over Loblaws and their line of Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies.
“Who wants the environment in which they live to be non stop advertisements?” yet another Redditor commented.
“It’s already awful and this would open up so much space for it to happen for any person, business or corporation that has no respect for humanity.”
