Interactive, Street-Level Billboards Look Back

Through a partnership with Motomedia U.K./Pearl Media (Motomedia’s subsidiary in the United States), Horizon Media converted a vacant storefront into an interactive, street-level billboard in Manhattan. A first for A&E, the street-level billboard advertised the "Andromeda Strain" on 8th Ave., near Columbus Circle, at 56th St. The display ran through May 2008.

The board also included hidden scanner cameras to capture audience data and gauge pedestrian reaction. The cameras, which use intelligence software to scan passersby, gave Horizon and A&E hourly analyses of viewers and how long they viewed the ads.

The installation was highlighted in a recent New York Times article on audience measurement. The article, “Billboards That Look Back,” said that the companies that employ the camera-scanning equipment don’t store actual images of passerby; instead, the cameras, they say, use software to analyze facial features (like cheekbone height and the distance between the nose and the chin) to judge gender and age.

The "Pushing Daisies" billboard in London featured touch and motion interactivity and audience measurement through Quividi. The scent of fresh cut grass wafted out to passersby from the board.

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The installation used touch foil to allow users to “interact” with Anna, the show’s main character. When the screen is touched, Anna “gasps,” animates and smiles. The background shows a field of daisies that open as part of the sequence. A central cloud graphic then displays a trailer for the program.

The street-level billboard for BBC3's show "The Mighty Boosh" used two daylight readable videoscreens around cartoon-like “Boosh” graphics, and the site was fitted with sound and Bluetooth servers.

The street-level billboard for the Chemical Brothers in London’s Hoxton Square featured an exclusive Bluetooth download of the band's music.

Motomedia turns vacant storefronts and retail units into digital canvases. The company says its large-format, digital displays, which broadcast dynamic messages in high-traffic locations, offer a 180° viewing angle, high contrast and vibrant color in ambient light.

Rear projection of video onto specialist screens, which are visible in daylight, and audio-driver technology, which converts a window into a localized speaker, combine to create audiovisual theater in retail locations. Mobile interactivity also adds to the screen’s message impact.

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Campaigns can be updated in real-time through remote content management. Playlist scheduling is updated across screens and locations using a web-based interface. A sponsor can broadcast different messages based upon the time of day, sale item, day of the week or weather conditions. The company works with clients, who’ve included SKY TV, the BBC, EMI Records and Sony BMG Music, on regional or national campaigns.