**BY CAITLIN GRANFIELD,**SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD
A free transportation service that has been running in Miami Beach for two years is now operating in Brickell and Downtown Miami.
Freebees are electric, open-air vehicles resembling oversized golf carts. They give free rides to people along designated routes in popular high traffic areas. They’re outfitted with mini HD TV’s and audio systems. Riders often are offered discounts and “freebees,” sponsored by the advertising company that pays to outfit the vehicle and promote their brand. And Freebees light up, so they’re easy to see and flag down, even at night.
Unsatisfied with their “real” jobs after graduating from University of Miami, business majors and campus roommates Jason Spiegel, 27, and Kris Kimball, 28, put their heads together and came up with Freebee.
Once they signed on advertisers, the costs of outsourcing “wrap” ads on the vehicles, outfitting them completely to represent the brand of the client, reached such a high overhead that they incorporated graphic designer, Amir Youssef, 37, as their business partner to do it in-house.
The trio established Beefree Media, a creative campaign agency that specializes in servicing media buying and printing, ranging from fliers to billboards and everything in between, including car wraps. Their headquarters is based in a warehouse in Wynwood, which is where they also print the vehicle wraps for Freebees.