Smiles and Flyby Launch Smart Digital Advertising Across Dubai Delivery Fleet
UAE rewards platform Smiles has partnered with Flyby to introduce smart delivery boxes across its electric bike fleet in Dubai, creating a new platform for dynamic, location-based digital outdoor advertising.
The collaboration marks Smiles’ first move into digital delivery box technology and is designed to give brands a new way to reach consumers across Dubai’s neighbourhoods while providing Smiles with real-time fleet tracking and monitoring capabilities.
Smart Delivery Boxes Bring Digital Ads to Dubai Streets
Flyby’s smart delivery boxes feature IoT-connected digital displays capable of showing advertisements based on the location of individual electric bikes.
This allows brands to target audiences in specific neighbourhoods and areas, while also scheduling campaigns according to particular days and times.
The technology will initially be deployed in Dubai, with plans to expand to other parts of the UAE.
Real-Time Fleet Monitoring for Smiles
Beyond advertising, the technology will provide Smiles with live visibility into its delivery fleet.
Real-time tracking and monitoring are expected to improve operational transparency and support road safety across delivery activities.
Ahmet Gokhan Ay, Chief Consumer Officer at e&, said the partnership would combine Smiles’ reach with Flyby’s technology to create a more connected and commercially valuable delivery platform.
He added that the solution would provide brands with a flexible and hyperlocal way to reach audiences across Dubai while creating new opportunities within e& UAE’s digital ecosystem.
Advertising Campaigns Can Be Updated Within 24 Hours
For advertisers, the partnership creates a mobile digital out-of-home (DOOH) channel capable of moving through different communities across Dubai.
Campaigns can be targeted geographically, scheduled for specific days and times, updated wirelessly and launched within 24 hours, compared with the four to six weeks typically required for fixed-format advertising, according to the companies.
Advertisers will also receive real-time information on campaign runs, impressions and locations, providing performance data based on area and time of day rather than relying solely on estimates of passing traffic.
Flyby Plans Thousands of Smart Boxes
Flyby CEO Cheyenne Kamran said the company was created to develop a new business model around moving digital advertising boxes within the last-mile delivery ecosystem.
The company aims to have thousands of smart boxes deployed on delivery bikes within the next 24 months, with the Smiles partnership representing a significant step towards that objective.
The model is intended to create additional commercial value without requiring new vehicles or permanent advertising structures on Dubai’s roads.
Hyperlocal Advertising Across Dubai
The mobile nature of the platform allows advertising campaigns to move across different neighbourhoods, residential communities and business districts.
Brands can therefore adapt campaigns based on location and timing, potentially making outdoor advertising more relevant to the audiences encountering it.
The companies said the approach could also complement existing marketing campaigns by providing another channel for brands seeking targeted consumer engagement.
Smiles Expands Its Technology-Led Delivery Platform
The partnership forms part of Smiles’ broader development as a technology-led last-mile delivery platform.
By combining delivery operations, real-time fleet visibility and digital advertising, the collaboration creates an additional value proposition for both Smiles and its commercial partners.
The rollout also reflects a wider evolution of digital out-of-home advertising, with mobile screens allowing brands to take their campaigns directly into the communities and locations where consumers live, work and move.
