FLAT ADVERTISING DEVICE AND USE THEREOF IN A SPORTS ARENA

Abstract

Flat advertising device for placement on the ground, of the type that has a graphic element deformed for better viewing by the observers, characterised in that the graphic element is deformed only along one axis and the said deformation consists of an elongation of less than 100%.

Claims

1. A flat advertising device for placement on the ground comprising a graphic element deformed for better viewing by the observers, wherein the graphic element is deformed only along one axis and the said deformation consists of an elongation of less than 100%.

2. The flat advertising device according to claim 1, wherein the deformation is equal to or less than 50%.

3. The flat advertising device according to claim 1, wherein the deformation is equal to or greater than 20%.

4. The flat advertising device according to claim 3, wherein the deformation is equal to or less than 40%.

5. The flat advertising device according to claim 1, wherein the graphic motif is cut out, the visible silhouette of the device coinciding with the silhouette of the graphic motif

6. The flat advertising device according to claim 5, wherein the graphic motif comprises various independent graphic sub motifs, the said independent graphic sub motifs being joined together by means of bridging elements that are camouflaged with the ground.

7. The flat advertising device according to claim 6, wherein the camouflage is a camouflage that mimics turf.

8. The flat advertising device according to claim 1, wherein the device is made of EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) with a bottom ballast layer made of a more dense material.

9. The flat advertising device according to claim 8, wherein the ballast layer is made of rubber.

10. A method for advertising in a sports arena comprising placing the advertising device according to claim 1 on a field of the sports arena.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the sports arena is a football field.

Description

[0017] To allow a clearer understanding, by way of explanatory and non-limitative example, some drawings are attached of an embodiment of the advertising device that forms the subject of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an application of a device according to the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows the application of FIG. 1, from a different point of view.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a flat advertising device according to the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 4 shows schematically a method of deformation according to the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an advertising device -1- according to the present invention, applied to a sports ground, more specifically a football field.

[0023] The advertising device -1- is placed at the side of the field, i.e. in the free space between the boundary of the playing area -100- and the barriers -102- that separate the field from the tiered seats -103-. As can be seen, the advertising device consists of a cut-out graphic motif with two sub-motifs joined together by a bridging element -11-. The advertising device -1- defines two main axes -A- and -B- perpendicular to each other. The axis -B- is parallel to the lateral boundary line that defines the playing area -100-, and the advertising motif displayed by the device -1- is deformed in the direction of the axis -A- perpendicular to the said axis -B-.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a view of the device of FIG. 1 from a high point of the opposite seating tier. It can be seen that the motif of the advertising device -1- does not appear to be excessively deformed, but nor does it appear to be raised or inclined with respect to the ground. This impression is helped by the fact that the advertising motif is cut out. In this case, the silhouette of the advertising motif and that of the advertising device coincide with each other. In other words, the advertising device has no background. This produces a chromatic contrast between the displayed graphic motif and the ground (turf), making it difficult to discern whether the device is situated on the ground or inclined with respect to the ground. This, in turn, mitigates any impression of inclination with respect to the ground that might be caused by the deformation along the axis -A-. Another contributing factor is the fact that there is no corresponding deformation along the axis -B- parallel to the playing area 100. A deformation of the graphic motif by 50% along the axis A of deformation, if it were accompanied by the corresponding deformation along the perpendicular axis -B-, could give the impression that the advertising device is inclined at an angle of 48. In the case of the invention, the absence of any deformation in one of the axes and the cutting-out of the graphic motif disguise this effect. Nevertheless, it is recommended for this reason to limit the amount of deformation applied.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a possible embodiment of the device according to the present invention. The device of the example consists of two layers: a 1.5 cm layer -12- made of EVA in the upper portion, and a 1 cm layer -13- made of rubber or elastomer material in the lower portion. The upper layer -12- provides protection for the players, while the lower layer -13- acts as ballast. Both layers may be laser-cut separately and glued together subsequently. Thus, the two-layer assembly of the example has a thickness of less than 2.5 cm so as not to stand out excessively from the turf. The two sub-motifs that make up the graphic motif shown are joined together by a bridging element that is covered with digital camouflage printing (photo of turf, or of a colour similar to that of turf), the edges being painted in a green colour similar in shade to that of the turf. The device may consist of a single element or may be formed of different elements joined together. In the latter case, the joint between elements may be made at the bridging points between sub-motifs, using interlocking joints similar to those between the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows in schematic form the process of deforming the graphic motif of an advertising device according to the invention. The graphic motif of FIG. 4 consists of two independent graphic motifs -1-, -1- joined together by a bridging element -11-. As shown in the drawing, the graphic sub-motifs in the undeformed state -90-, -90- are an and a square, respectively. The undeformed graphic sub-motifs -90-, -90- are deformed only in the direction of the axis -A-, being undeformed in the direction of the axis -B- perpendicular to it, i.e. the horizontal axis.

[0027] The deformation consists of stretching by 50% the length of the undeformed graphic sub-motifs -90-, -90- in such a way that the deformed graphic sub-motifs -1-, -1- have a length of 150% with reference to the 100% of the length of the axis A of the undeformed graphic sub-motifs.

[0028] Although the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, the said embodiments must not be regarded as limitative of the invention, which will be defined by the broadest interpretation of the following claims.