Printing technology hasn’t seen such an awesome application since skywriters first hit the heavens in 1842. OK, that predates the Wright Brothers, we know, but this post is about the Tour de France and LIVESTRONG and printing inspiring messages on the pavement of the Alps. We’ll do our pre-blog research where it’s pertinent.
The Chalkbot is the future of getting your message out on the streets. Actually, it’s the present, having been inspired by a nearly century old tradition of chalking support on the race’s streets, and being used during last year’s Tour de France to paint random thoughts of madness at the peloton as it sped through France.
Powered by Lance Armstrong‘s LIVESTRONG foundation and pulled by a sleek black SUV, the tractor-like Chalkbot sprays what you tweet ahead of the Tour’s riders. Not every tweet is accepted, though, so make sure yours fits with the LIVESTRONG ethic. Inspire. Empower. Survive. You know the drill.
Submit your message here, and if yours is accepted and printed in bright yellow paint on the roads of France (or Belgium or the Netherlands), you’ll soon receive an email with its exact GPS coordinates.
Last week, Survivor: Africa winner and Tonic contributor Ethan Zohn stamped his message (seen above) on the streets of France (Liesse-Notre-Dame, France, to be exact). It was a bit more inspiring than @chalkbot‘s “message of the day” for July 12, though perhaps not as sweet.
Now it’s your chance to out-sweet and out-inspire them all.
Photo by Chalkbot via TwitPic.