Three New Initiatives For Times Square
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
The Times Square Advertising Coalition, a trade association representing advertising stakeholders in New York City’s Times Square, last night, during Advertising Week in New York, announced a brand new spectacular event that will unfold in Times Square every night in 2011.
TSAC has instituted a ‘Times Square Midnight Moment’, creating a daily ‘must-see’ event that will become the centerpiece of each evening along the Great White Way in the heart of NYC. It is believed that it will include multiple digital billboards being illuminated in a way that will offer a bright end to each evening in Times Square.
The plan for a spectacular end to every evening in New York City, promising to generate destination-driving excitement in America’s Town Square, is just one of a three new initiatives announced by TSAC.
“We devised this multi-pronged campaign to not only celebrate all things imaginative and artistic about advertising in Times Square, but also to produce a brand new Times Square experience for visitors,” says Harry Coghlan, TSAC founder and president, and president and general manager of Clear Channel Outdoor’s New York and Spectacolor divisions.
“‘Midnight Moment’ will bring a touch of excitement to the fabled site every day of the week – adding a new must-see attraction to the city’s most famous destination,” says Don Blanton, president and CEO, The WOW Factor Inc., a member of TSAC.
The second element of TSAC’s plans for 2011 is a new CrossRoads Awards program that will recognize Times Square advertising creativity and innovation. As part of the CrossRoad Awards, TSAC announced a Times Square Sign Hall of Fame, celebrating individuals and brands for their iconic Times Square-specific contributions. The first inductees into the Times Square Sign Hall of Fame include:
- Artkraft Strauss – the historic designer and creator of many of Times Square’s iconic signs and displays;
- JVC – manufacturer of home, mobile, and automotive electronics equipment and accessories, and a Times Square advertising veteran for over 30 years.
The third element of the program is TSAC’s plan for a visual public art campaign projected on the digital screens of Times Square in partnership with the Times Square Alliance Public Art Program, as well as local schools. The public art program, the details of which will be announced at a later date, seeks to enrich the area’s cultural landscape.
“New York City is home to some of the most inspirational artists in the world and through this unique program, we’re giving them the opportunity to have their work displayed on the digital screens in Times Square, and bringing a rich cultural experience to onlookers,” says Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, a co-partner of TSAC.
The CrossRoads Awards program will kick-off with a ceremony slated for Advertising Week 2011 in September, recognizing spectacular creativity taking place in Times Square for the duration of the previous year. Awards will be presented in 15 dufferent categories, including: Hall of Fame; Lifetime Achievement; People’s choice; Best Short Form Static Creative; Best Long Form Statis Creative; Best Short Form Digital Campaign; Best Long Form Digital Campaign; Best Retail Digital Execution; Best Retail Static Execution; Best Broadway Show Campaign; Best Environmental Awareness Creative / use of Green Technology; Best Marketing / Promotional event; Best Interactive Campaign; Best Non-Commercial Creative; and Best of Times Square.
The CrossRoads Awards judging panel is currently being assembled and will be comprised of key influencers and taste makers from the arts, entertainment and media fields. In the near term, TSAC will announce a design competition to create the physical CrossRoad Award.
The submission process for the 2011 CrossRoads Awards will open in January 2011. Additional information can be found at TimesSquareAdCoalition.org.
Members of TSAC, formed in Sept., 2009, include: Clear Channel Spectacolor, Sherwood Outdoor, ABC Regional Sports & Entertainment Sales, D3 LED, Hard Rock Café, Hines Management, Landmark Sign & Electric, Monster Media, Newmark Knight Frank, North Shore Neon, P.R.omotion!, Show & Tell Production, The Times Square Alliance, The WOW Factor, Times Square2 – Thomson Reuters / NASDAQ, Titan Outdoor and YESCO. The Association works to ensure that Times Square remains the most colorful and vibrant commercial corridor on earth, guaranteeing optimal brand exposure and excitement for its media partners.
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