Pearl Media LLC (Fairfield, NJ) was founded as a traditional outdoor-advertising agency approximately seven years ago, but the company has evolved into a wallscape fabricator that also produces 3-D projection campaigns, gesture-response technology, augmented reality and other forms of interactive, experiential marketing.
The company has acquired considerable real estate – more than 300 locations in the 20 largest U.S. cities, according to Josh Cohen, Pearl Media’s president and CEO – to use for its interactive programs. One most-valuable asset is its first-floor property at 7024 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles, which adjoins the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is across the street from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
During June, the property promoted Blue Moon Brewing Co. (a Coors Brewing subsidiary) with an interactive installation that featured both brand-saturated static graphics and, in keeping with the brand’s tagline, “Artfully Crafted”, an interactive display that encouraged visitors to create stylized depictions of the well-known, blue-and-gold Blue Moon portrait. The print installation encompassed approximately 670 sq. ft.
To print the static graphics, Pearl Media hired Beyond Printing (Hempstead, NY), which decorated FLEXcon’s BUSmark 5800 white, opaque, removable vinyl on its HP DesignJet L28500 latex-ink printer. They installed the material without heat using 3M Gold nylon squeegees.
For the dynamic-digital-signage component, Pearl Media installed a 65-in. Planar LCD screen sheathed with a touch foil, which enabled users to render bottle drawings. Then, after users had verified their age and created a piece, the system’s software sent e-mails of the drawings to the users, who were then able to post to social media or wherever they desired. Cohen said 336 users submitted drawings during the project’s first two weeks.
“There are a lot of factors to consider when you’re installing an electronic screen that’s open to public use,” he said. “In addition to resolution and vandal resistance, you have to think about how much direct sunlight the screen will receive, the available power, the degree of window tinting, and what protective film to use.”
The site’s advertising didn’t remain dormant long. Within hours of the Blue Moon installation’s June 29 conclusion, it was removed and replaced for another campaign in July.