Soon your view of the sea from Bandra Reclamation, Juhu and Versova beach maybe be obstructed with glittery advertisements mid-sea. With an aim to raise funds for water transportation projects, the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has introduced the concept of floating advertisement wherein companies will be given rights to promote brands mid-sea on barges. This is the first of its kind advertisement technique in India. Speaking about it, an MMB official said, "Advertisement boards will be fixed on barges which will ply in sea face along Bandra-Worli Sea-Link (BWSL), Juhu and Versova beach. We have got a proposal from one agency, and now we want more players to come forward and give their proposal for the same." The revenue generated from the same will be used by MMB for several water transport projects like purchasing and developing jetty and vessels for Roll on Roll off (RORO) vessels that allow one to carry vehicles for plying between locations like Borivali-Gorai, Mumbai-Alibaug etc. It will also be used to procure hovercraft that will ply passengers between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. "The minimum advertising revenue guaranteed by any company should be at least Rs 112 per square feet for illuminated advertising space and around Rs 65 for non-illuminating advertising space," added the official. Lauding the idea to monetise the sea, Prahlad Kakkar, an advertising veteran said, "This might lure many brands who will opt for it. However, the aesthetics of the sea will change. Many brands might not come forward to avoid negative publicity." Meanwhile, Taha Sayed, a city-based digital marketing professional said, "The idea of floating advertisements to generate revenue might be a good concept, but one can only assume its viability. Visibility of the advertisements is not something one can take guarantee of. However, it will be a unique way of promotion." MONETISING SEA

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