A marketing stunt by a candidate for U.S. Senate may have caught your attention, but it also got caught in the wind.
The blimp off I-4 in Plant City with an inflatable dummy hanging from it, blew away in an afternoon rainstorm Wednesday.
The blimp is part of the quirky marketing strategy by the late candidate, Roque De Da Fuente, trying to win a spot in the U.S. Senate.
“We thought it would be very attention grabbing and people would want to learn more about Rocky,” said Danielle De La Fuente, Spokesperson for the campaign.
The blimp along with the dozens of hanging and posing dummies at the warehouse in plain view from I-4, is definitely causing a stir.
When the campaign launched the blimp a few days ago, they said their phones started ringing off the hook with people wondering what was going on.
Some thought the dummy hooked to the blimp was actually a person in real danger.
“As I was driving, I was looking closer and closer, and it was scary,” said Betsy Agliano, who stopped to check out what the shenanigans were about.
The bizarre, attention grabbing marketing is occasionally slowing traffic along I-4, but so far there have been no reported accidents.
“Rocky” is running as a job creator, and his background is marketing. But as of early Wednesday afternoon, he may be in the market for a new blimp.
It appears his snapped off from the tether during a rain storm.
A campaign spokesman said they are looking for it, and the dummy, and hope it didn’t fly far.
“Thank you Jesus it was not somebody,” Agliano said.
