# HELI-D CEO Simon Powell on Turning the Sky Into Digital Media

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/adtechgod-pod-6593523/heli-d-ceo-simon-powell-on-turning-the-sky-into-digital-media
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/adtechgod-pod-6593523/heli-d-ceo-simon-powell-on-turning-the-sky-into-digital-media.md
Podcast: [AdTechGod Pod](https://stenobird.com/podcast/adtechgod-pod-6593523)
Published: 2026-05-21T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/EAATE1210519949.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/EAATE1210519949.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/adtechgod-pod-6593523/episodes/heli-d-ceo-simon-powell-on-turning-the-sky-into-digital-media
Duration seconds: 988

## Resource

In this episode of the AdTechGod Pod, Simon Powell, CEO of HELI-D, shares how his company is redefining out-of-home advertising with flying digital billboards attached to helicopters. From launching campaigns for MTV, Disney, Pepsi, Xbox, and VaynerX to creating immersive aerial activations that generate massive earned media, Simon breaks down the future of flying digital media and why emotional, high-impact advertising still matters. The conversation explores the evolution of aerial advertising, the technology powering HELI-D's LED helicopter screens, QR code engagement at massive live events, and what comes next for digital out-of-home, including drones and integrated media experiences. Takeaways HELI-D evolved from traditional helicopter banners into fully digital flying LED billboards. Simon Powell transitioned from investment banking into aviation and advertising entrepreneurship. Early innovation included projection technology that turned helicopter banners into flying cinema screens. HELI-D’s breakthrough campaign debuted at the MTV VMAs with Viacom in 2016. Disney partnered with HELI-D for large-scale experiential aerial activations. The company has executed campaigns for Pepsi, Star Trek, Catch-22, Xbox, and VaynerX. COVID accelerated the development of HELI-D’s scalable LED screen technology. The aerial ads create strong emotional reactions because of their size, movement, sound, and visibility. HELI-D campaigns generate significant earned media through social sharing and inbound audience engagement. QR code campaigns achieved massive interaction rates at live sporting events like the Melbourne Cup. HELI-D partnered with Blue Bite for mobile retargeting and shadow fencing at Possible. Xbox used Heli-D to create a flying live gaming experience with zero-latenc…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/adtechgod-pod-6593523/episodes/heli-d-ceo-simon-powell-on-turning-the-sky-into-digital-media/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/adtechgod-pod-6593523/heli-d-ceo-simon-powell-on-turning-the-sky-into-digital-media.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.