Somerfield using HubAds to keep children amused during long journeys.

HubAds fitted to Somerfield's Home Delivery Vans will soon be keeping childern amused during long journeys using a combination of fun messages.

Bristol, 16th July 2003
Spin doctor

Children will soon be kept amused on long journeys by jokes and quiz questions - on the hubcaps of supermarket vans.
Bristol-based Somerfield is fitting its fleet with 'floating' hubcaps which remain horizontal when the vehicle is moving.
They will carry jokes, riddles and quiz questions which are at the perfect height for kids to play along with on gruelling journeys.
So families overtaking a delivery van will read jokes on the back wheels - and get the punchline a few seconds later when they drive past the front wheels.

The revolutionary - or not so revolutionary - hubcap is held steady by lead weights while the van wheels rotate at 1,500 times a minute.

A selection of 95 Somerfield Home Delivery vans will road-test the scheme before it is rolled out to all 350 Somerfield vehicles.

They feature kiddies' quiz questions such as 'how many red cars can you see?' and 'I spy something beginning with S'.

The hubcaps were originally intended to carry adverts until a Somerfield employee, father-of-one Hans Sprenkel, came up with the idea.

Bristol-based development controller Hans, 37, said: "I hope that this will mean an end to the question 'Are we nearly there yet?'

"I think this will really appeal to children - and their parents. It's a great interactive project and if it keeps families happy when they are on the road, then we have done our job."

A spokesman for Bristol-based Somerfield said: "Customers are used to seeing advertising messages everywhere they go.

"We thought that they would welcome a light-hearted approach and that could benefit them in different ways.
"This should turn out to be a godsend for parents of kids who get bored during long car journeys."

Educational child psychologist Gaynor Sbutoni, a member of the British Psychological Society, said: "It is very refreshing to see such a child-centred idea.

"In terms of road safety this is a great way to occupy young minds.

"Driving and entertaining the kids can be a difficult task - especially if there is only one parent in the car. But this novel idea allows the driver to concentrate more on the road."

Further information on HubAds can be found at www.hubads.com

ENDS.