BMO Financial Group installed the first, interactive, digital-storefront advertisement in Canada, outside its flagship Toronto branch at King and Bay streets, to draw attention to its grassroots soccer campaign.
“We wanted to start a conversation about grassroots soccer in Canada, where it is now, and where it’s heading,” said Sandy Bourne, VP, Advertising, Sponsorship, Events and Merchandising, BMO Financial Group. “We chose this marketing platform to bring Canadians in closer contact with our grassroots campaign. This game allows them to engage with the advertisement in an exciting and new way, breaking from traditional marketing methods”
Teaming up with Orlando, FL-based Monster Media, BMO is drawing attention to youth soccer. Passersby are drawn to an eight-by-six meter display of static signage that surrounds an interactive, custom, LCD wall. There, they can face-off with the five youth soccer players featured in current print and billboard advertising.
"We are thrilled to fuse together this groundbreaking technology with such a catchy concept," said John Payne, President, Monster Media. "Our company always strives to be pioneers in the out-of-home space and through this campaign we have executed game-play in a way that has never been done before in Canada and is sure to resonate with thousands of consumers."
The eight, linked, LCD screens use gesture-based interaction paired with touch activation. This fusion allows the display to deeply immerse the user.
The decision to focus on future national teams represents BMO’s continued support of grassroots soccer. BMO currently sponsors more than 500 youth soccer teams in 60 clubs, in addition to the Canadian National teams, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Toronto FC.