Allergy Relief Brand Launches Travel App to Avoid Air Pollution
During Climate Week in NYC last week, Allegra rolled out a beta version of a new Waze-like app designed to help commuters find the ‘cleanest’ route possible. The new app called Airways actively maps the intersection of air quality and pollen to offer users three potential routes with low, medium, and high pollution factors. It was launched via an OOH activation and pedi-cab takeover in NYC, where drivers used the app to transport delegates attending UNGA.
Created in partnership with Salutem, a specialist agency within the Daniel J. Edelman (DJE) Holdings family, and Ambee, a climate and environmental data intelligence platform, Airways was conceived as a solution to air pollution’s worsening impact on allergies. Air pollution is already the 4th leading cause of death worldwide, and by 2050, 50% of the world’s population will suffer from allergies. Despite this, most people are totally unaware of the connection between pollution and allergies.
For Airways, Allegra is leveraging an array of Ambee data sources combining both on-the-ground and remote sensing technologies. Everything from government and crowd-sourced environmental sensors that monitor air quality, pollen levels, and weather conditions in real-time to satellite imagery that tracks large-scale air quality patterns, climate changes, and vegetation trends influencing pollen dispersion. The app will also be updated in real-time with traffic analysis, population density, weather patterns, local vegetation index, and seasonal variations.
In essence the Airways app is a living, breathing ecosystem of data, harnessing the latest technology from ground-level sensors to satellites, further integrating additional factors like traffic, weather, and vegetation. The end experience is dynamic and continually informed. So far Airways will only be available in New York and will offer walking, running, and biking routes with plans to expand to more cities and add more modes of transportation like bus and scooter.
