Bluewire Audio launches Kickstarter Video

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. - Aug. 30, 2015 - PRLog -- CONTACT: Jim Farrell, PR First, 781-681-6616, jfarrell@prfirst.com

Bluewire Audio Develops Kickstarter Video; Marathon Runner, Ambulance used to showcase uniqueness of product

NORTHBOROUGH,MA, ISSUED AUGUST 31, 2015…People traveling by Algonquin Regional High School on Saturday August 8 may have done a “double-take,” as they witnessed an ambulance attempting to work its way through a crowd of runners, with the lead runner seemingly refusing to get out of the way of the emergency vehicle approaching from behind.

It was “all for show,” as the saying goes. The ambulance and the runners were all part of a Kickstarter video being created by Bluewire Audio LLC, a company founded by the father-and-daughter team  of Andy and Emily Proos of Northborough.  And the lead runner who appeared not to hear the approaching ambulance was Lauren Vulcano, a Boston educator who as a spectator at the 2013 Boston Marathon was injured in the bombings, and who ran the Boston Marathon the following year in support of the bombing victims.

The Kickstarter video is a re-creation of a scene that Andy Proos and his wife, Michele, witnessed several years ago when they ran the Philadelphia half marathon. “There was an ambulance attempting to get through the crowd to transport an injured patient,” he said, noting, “Almost all of the runners heard the sirens and scattered to make way, but there was one runner, who was listening to music through earbuds, and was oblivious to the sounds behind her.”

That was part of the inspiration that led Proos, an anesthesiologist, to look at this second career that he has started with daughter Emily, a recent Babson College graduate. “Runners, especially those who participate in long distance events, like to listen to music,” he said, “but this clearly illustrated a safety concern with traditional earbuds.”

Proos and his daughter Emily, who serves as the organization’s CEO, opted to make the point dramatically with a re-creation of the actual event, which will serve as an ongoing part of the company’s marketing materials. On this recent Saturday, there was no real emergency. The runners were all volunteers, taking part in the video to illustrate the need for the new product that Bluewire Audio is developing.

According to Andy and Emily Proos, the Bluewire product will offer not only significantly improved safety, but also the convenience of listening to music without having to constantly adjust earbuds.

The Bluewire product consists of a set of small speakers mounted on the outside of a cap or visor, where they direct audio towards the wearer’s ear.  Without being too loud to disturb other people in the surrounding area, the speakers allow the wearer to listen to music or other audio without needing to fumble with earbuds or wires.  More importantly, they also preserve ambient sound, eliminating the safety concerns when conventional earbuds or headphones are used during outdoor activities.

The prototype product, designed by Attleboro-based Ideology Product Development and created by Empire Prototype Development, was on hand for people to see. The product will be beta tested by a number of New England running clubs later in the year.

They anticipate that the Kickstarter campaign will be underway in September, and the video that is now in production will be a key part of the campaign. Their plans are also to post the video to their social media sites to remind people of the importance of being able to hear surrounding sounds. “We hope this will encourage runners to think carefully about their surroundings,” he said.

The filming took about 90 minutes with a number of “takes.”

Lauren Vulcano, who volunteered to be the runner who seemed not to hear the ambulance, did actually experience hearing losses as a result of injuries sustained in the 2013 Marathon bombing. She sustained injuries to her head and shoulder as a result of shrapnel, and her boyfriend, also present with her at the Marathon, was also injured. The Northborough native, who underwent surgery as a result of the bombings,  is a friend of CEO Emily Proos.

Emily Proos, CEO of Bluewire Audio, said, “We can’t thank the participants enough for helping us produce this video. And we so appreciate Lauren’s being our lead runner, and she is such a strong and powerful example to us all. We look forward to sharing the video and launching the campaign.”

About Bluewire Audio LLC

Bluewire Audio LLC is a start-up founded by anesthesiologist Andy Proos and his daughter Emily, who is a recent graduate of Babson College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.  The company is based on their idea for a speaker system that is mounted on the band of a hat or visor allowing the wearer to listen to audio while engaged in physical activity without the inconvenience of wires and

ambient sound, addressing the safety concerns when conventional earbuds and headphones that feature noise-canceling technology are used in active settings.  For more information on Bluewire Audio, contact aproos@bluewireaudio.com or emproos@bluewireaudio.com.

Photo caption: Bluewire Audio LLC filmed a video for their upcoming Kickstarter and marketing campaigns to showcase the need for their new product, a speaker system mounted on the band of a hat or visor allowing the wearer to listen to audio while engaged in physical activity without the inconvenience of wires, and which allows the exerciser to hear surrounding sounds. Founders Emily Proos (left) and her father Andy (right) pose with their lead runner, Lauren Vulcano, a Northborough native now living in Boston and who was injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The video was filed in Northborough, MA.