Smiles, the UAE-based everyday rewards platform, has partnered with Flyby to introduce smart delivery box technology across its e-bike fleet in Dubai, creating a new mobile platform for hyperlocal digital out-of-home (OOH) advertising.
The partnership represents Smiles’ first deployment of embedded digital box technology across its delivery fleet. Flyby’s Smart Delivery Boxes are equipped with IoT-connected digital displays that can serve location-based advertising, enabling brands to engage audiences in specific neighbourhoods and at relevant times.
Alongside its advertising capabilities, the technology will give Smiles access to real-time fleet tracking and monitoring. This is expected to enhance operational visibility, transparency and road safety across its delivery network.
The rollout will begin in Dubai before potentially extending to other emirates.
Ahmet Gokhan Ay, Chief Consumer Officer, e& UAE, said: “As a trusted homegrown brand, Smiles continues to evolve in ways that make everyday experiences more connected and relevant. By combining its reach with Flyby’s smart delivery technology, we are transforming our delivery fleet into a more connected and commercially valuable platform. The partnership will give us real-time visibility across delivery operations while offering brands a flexible, hyperlocal way to reach audiences across Dubai. It reflects how e& UAE uses technology to create new value across our digital ecosystem, strengthen the Smiles proposition and open new opportunities for partners.”
Cheyenne Kamran, Chief Executive Officer of Flyby, said: “Last-mile delivery has spent a decade optimising cost per order, and that time and profit pressure lands on the entire ecosystem of Smiles delivery champions, restaurants and operators alike. We built Flyby to bring value into that ecosystem with a new business model: moving digital boxes. Out-of-home has never had a shelf at eye level, and the Smiles fleet gives brands one without adding a vehicle to the street or a structure above it. Our ambition is to have thousands of boxes on the road in the next 24 months, and our partnership with Smiles is a major step in that direction.”
For advertisers, the collaboration introduces a highly visible digital OOH channel capable of moving through communities across Dubai. The solution is designed to help brands deliver targeted messaging while making campaign budgets more measurable and performance-oriented.
Advertising campaigns can be geofenced and scheduled according to specific days and times, with content updated remotely and campaigns activated within 24 hours. This offers a faster deployment model compared with fixed OOH formats, which can typically require several weeks.
Brands will also have access to real-time reporting covering campaign runs, impressions and locations, providing performance insights by area and time of day rather than relying solely on estimates of passing traffic.
The deployment is set to bring digital brand messaging into neighbourhoods across Dubai through Smiles’ delivery network. The mobile format can complement broader advertising campaigns while giving brands another avenue to engage consumers in contextually relevant locations.
The partnership further advances Smiles’ positioning as a technology-enabled last-mile platform while expanding its offering for advertisers and commercial partners seeking targeted, hyperlocal consumer engagement through digital OOH.
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