- My role/scope:
- Creative and design lead
- UI design, prototyping
- Digital media production
- Creative direction, art direction, content strategy, branding
- Credits:
- Marketing Manager: Natalia Lafforgue
- Marketing Specialist: Nathalie Rodrigues
- Content Management: Gridcast (now ICON)
- Results:
- Set up advertising sales opportunities for lead generation
- Increase in brand awareness at Yonge & Dundas
Standing prominently and overlooking Yonge-Dundas Square is Canada’s largest digital out-of-home display. Size, ubiquity, technology, locale and engagement are important selling features when it comes to outdoor advertising. The question arose - how can we showcase the digital capabilities of this monolithic screen that is landmark to this public space? The answer was simple – get a bunch of people in one spot and show them that a big, flashy sign can do lots of things. A client appreciation party near the Square would follow which actually aligned with Clear Channel Canada’s rebrand.
“The enchantment of new technology leads to showcase demonstrations of new capabilities. Intelligent, connected [out-of-home advertising] currently exists as a showcase of the new, delighting us with theatre and virtuosity.”
- Tim Spencer, Semiotician and Cultural Analyst
Prototyping
Content strategy and scheduling was developed in collaboration with Gridcast (now ICON Media) who also consulted on the technological capabilities. Ideation was done with the Marketing Team to come up with ways to convert those capabilities into advertising and activation opportunities. My role was try to realize those opportunities in creative and tangible ways. Testing was done on-site.
Showcasing Size and Impact (Digital Media Domination)
In coordination with a client appreciation event, the impact of scale and luminosity was in full-on display to captivated patrons, including a social wall featuring hashtagged posts and a live video stream broadcasting any ostentatious guests who stepped in front of the camera.
Some Fun and Engagement (Game Activation)
Throughout the night and projected on one of the large screens, spectators in Yonge-Dundas Square were encouraged to play a giant picture reveal game by sharing their guesses on Twitter as sections of the full image were unveiled to them.
Ubiquity and Disruption (Conditionally-triggered Media Content)
With the Maple Leafs playing a game that night, the opportunity to celebrate could not be missed – any time the home team scored a goal, a 7 second hockey animation would play on the screens to any attentive onlookers. This works by the signs interfacing with a live sports data feed, activating the media clip when it receives any data changes about the score.
