Harnessing #AI to Boost Confidence & Impact

June 23rd, 2024

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an increasing role in our professional and personal lives. Understanding and fully utilizing #AI can be a game-changer in your career.

This WEDOOH: Harnessing AI to Boost Your Confidence and Impact at Work workshop, designed for women (however all are welcome) in the DOOH industry will delve into how AI tools, with a focus on platforms like ChatGPT, can empower you to be more fearless, breaking barriers to accelerate success and impact.

This is a members only event and will be an interactive session where you will walk away with actionable steps you can immediately use to accelerate your growth. The webinar will conclude with a panel of leading women in DOOH.

To maximize your learning experience, we recommend downloading ChatGPT before attending.

If you are interested in attending then contact your DPAA representative or email info@dpaaglobal.com

Madrid Tourism Campaign in Shanghai

June 23rd, 2024

Tristan Cotterill

In the economic heart of Shanghai, Worldcom OOH has successfully carried out a campaign in collaboration with Irismedia to promote tourism in the city of Madrid.

With 28 spectacular screens strategically located in the corridors connecting the Reel shopping mall and Jingan Temple metro station, Worldcom OOH and Irismedia have brought the beauty and attractions of the city of Madrid to Chinese citizens, inviting them to discover the Spanish capital.

“The objective of this campaign has been to gain visibility and promote the city of Madrid as a prominent tourist destination, encouraging the audience to travel to the Spanish capital. With a duration of one week and impressive coverage, the campaign has generated over 14 million impressions, thanks to the display of 15-second spots on the 28 advertising screens, with a daily frequency of 240 spots and an operational schedule of 15 hours,” says Mónica Nicieza, Commercial Director for Europe at Worldcom.

Targeted at frequent international travelers interested in urban tourism, culture, lifestyle, gastronomy, and luxury, the campaign has impacted high-income individuals, residents of Shanghai, and tourists.

“Worldcom OOH is proud to have been part of this campaign in such an impressive city as Shanghai, the most populous in China and one of the most populous in the world, and to have been able to bring our experience and global reach in the field of communication and advertising, once again reaffirming our commitment to promoting tourism on a global scale,” concludes Valentín Bueno, CEO of Worldcom OOH.

Irismedia is an advertising and media agency with extensive experience in both national and international markets, founded in 2006. It ranks among the top three independent agencies by revenue in the Spanish market and is the leader in managing clients and campaigns internationally. The agency offers transparency in its actions and services, specializing in optimizing its clients’ investments.

Record @DPAAglobal Curated Cannes Experience Numbers

June 23rd, 2024

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

DPAA, the global trade marketing association, driving the growth and digitization of out-of-home media announced today it has engaged with a record number of members, brands, and agencies during this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Monday evening saw some 70+ DPAA members, brands, agencies and VIPs attend the Annual DPAA Kickoff Dinner at Fred l’Ecailler, known as the best seafood in Southern France.

Tuesday was filled with learning, insights and additional networking as some 40+ members attended private sessions with Mastercard, GroupM, Pernod Ricard, UM, Lenovo, Talon, Assembly, Forsman & Bodenfors (formerly CPB London).

On Tuesday evening, the DPAA hosted a cocktail happy hour with Madhive with over 100 members and Cannes attendees at the Majestic Hotel.

On Wednesday DPAA members engaged with marketing/media leaders from Busch Gardens/Seaworld, BBC Studios, Starcom Worldwide, and Paramount Streaming including an important panel on sustainability with Omnicom, World Federation of Advertisers and Mastercard. The day concluded with a substantive session on attention metrics and results from a new test with Kruger Products, Wavemaker, Talon, and Vertical Impression.

On Wednesday evening DPAA and IRCODE hosted a special event aboard Grace yacht, berthed directly behind the Palais. Thursday, the DPAA group was at a special lunch beachside at world famous Nammos.

“The level of participation and attendance at our events thus far has surpassed previous years,” said Barry Frey, President & CEO of DPAA. “Once again the Cannes Lions Festival and DPAA’s Curated Experience proves to be a great place to engage with brands and agencies and do business We educate brands to the new capabilities of the medium, which in turn increases their use of DOOH.”

We are assured that over the course of the week in both formal and informal settings, many brands talked with DPAA about increasing their spend and commitment to Digital Out of Home advertising.

JCDecaux Wins Southern Cross Station Contract

June 21st, 2024

Tristan Cotterill

Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station has awarded JCDecaux the exclusive advertising rights for Victoria’s busiest public transport hub after a competitive tender.

Bronwyn Clementson, Executive General Manager – Commercial, JCDecaux, said “JCDecaux’s Melbourne presence has never been stronger, with best-in-class advertising solutions including our newly launched JCDecaux ICON, the West Gate Freeway, and the esteemed Young & Jackson. We are pleased to be continuing our long-standing partnership with Southern Cross Station and contribution to Melbourne’s thriving advertising landscape. Through our market-leading solutions, including our high-impact Station Domination opportunity, advertising at Southern Cross Station allows brands to create memorable marketing experiences that drive conversations and influence behaviour.”

Southern Cross Station is Victoria’s busiest public transport interchange and a primary metropolitan, regional and airport gateway, connecting 1.2 million people each week. It forms part of JCDecaux’s extensive Melbourne network spanning Large Format, Small Format, Rail, and Transit.

JCDecaux has been providing advertising solutions at Southern Cross Station since 2007. The new contract will see JCDecaux complete full digitisation for all station assets. Two new full-motion digital Large Format screens will be installed taking the total to five. This includes the introduction of one of the largest digital screens in a train station, measuring 9m x 5m. All existing Small Format screens will be upgraded to digital displays. This transformation aims to enhance the visual experience for commuters and advertisers alike, reinforcing Southern Cross Station’s status as a premier advertising hub.

Advertising in Southern Cross Station provides brands with the unique opportunity to engage with a wide range of audiences journeying to and from Melbourne’s landmarks, business districts, shopping centres, sports venues such as Marvel Stadium, and entertainment precincts.

JCDecaux’s national rail portfolio offers diverse formats across Australia’s busiest rail networks including Sydney Trains, Adelaide Railway Station, Perth Transport Authority and Queensland Rail.

The new contract commences July 1, 2024.

#OOH Billboard Burned in House of Dragon Stunt

June 21st, 2024

Tristan Cotterill

To celebrate the launch of House of the Dragon Season 2 on 17 June, BINGE has partnered with Mindshare and POLY, the creative and innovation hub of oOh!media, in an Australian advertising first that will see the iconic Out-of-Home billboard at Taylor Square in Sydney ‘burned’ by a dragon using Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) technology.

BINGE Marketing Director Fiona King said: “The BINGE brand is all about entertainment, storytelling and getting people talking. With the launch of House of the Dragon Season 2, we had an incredible opportunity to fuse fantasy with reality in an innovative and creative way that aligns with what our brand is all about. Using CGI technology to fly a dragon in over the city landscape and breathe fire onto a billboard about the show is the perfect way to capitalise on this.”

The creative concept sees the release of a CGI video on the day of the season premiere in Australia, featuring a number of Australian landmarks ‘raising their banners to pledge their allegiance’ to the duelling factions in the series – Team Green and Team Black. A dragon then breathes fire on the iconic billboard in Sydney. The billboard creative then changes to appear scorched as a result. The concept is amplified across social, influencer networks and oOh!’s broader broadcast formats with the CGI video.

BEFORE

Rob Delaney, Creative Strategist, POLY, said: “Out of Home storytelling, much like House of the Dragon itself, is rich, multifaceted and provides a canvas for continued creativity and innovation. With faux OOH advertising gaining global traction, we’ve taken it to the next level and created a new concept, combining CGI and an OOH special build to drive audience interaction and engagement across physical and digital environments. This has been a true collaboration between BINGE, Mindshare and POLY, and we can’t wait to see the reaction to virtual dragons flying over Sydney and interacting with our Taylor Square site.”

As part of the broader marketing campaign, BINGE will also reveal CGI banners dropping from iconic landmarks across Australia as part of a global activation where cities pledge their allegiance to the green or black councils as a nod to the two duelling families in the series. BINGE has also worked with Bunsters Worldwide to create limited edition hot sauce – one green and one black.

AFTER

Sarah Newcombe, Group Planning Director at Mindshare, added: “We are so thrilled to see this idea come to life! Over the past year, we have seen faux-OOH executions take the internet by storm. Now we’re delighted to bring this concept one step further, taking it beyond the social media feed and onto the streets of Sydney with a real-life creative swap after the CGI event – a concept dubbed ‘faux-real OOH’ which we love! Collaborating with oOh! and BINGE has been a seamless process and we look forward to the success of House of the Dragon Season 2”.

The House of the Dragon ad campaign is live across TV, OOH, transit, retail, social and digital.

Other activations as part of the marketing campaign include a special fan screening event at the IMAX Melbourne theatre, custom made House of the Dragon branded wines thanks to Treasury Wines and special Fox Sports integrations.

House of the Dragon Season 2 is now streaming on BINGE, available on Hubbl, and watch on FOXTEL.

Sharing Critical Heat Relief Resources

June 21st, 2024

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

Starting this week, more than 100 digital billboards across Arizona will display critical local heat relief resources, thanks to a partnership between Maricopa County, Clear Channel Outdoor, the Maricopa Association of Governments and the City of Phoenix.

Billboards owned by Clear Channel Outdoor will promote 211 Arizona to direct at-risk community members to one of 230+ local heat relief sites that can help them stay cool during Arizona’s dangerous late spring and summer time heat.

“Working with our partners, we’ve expanded hours at life-saving cooling centers across the region.  Now, we need as many people as possible to know about this resource,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers, District 1.  “Clear Channel Outdoor understood the importance of this messaging—how it could save lives—and generously offered to share heat relief resources on their digital billboards at no cost.”

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) confirmed a record-breaking 645 heat-associated deaths in 2023, a significant increase from the previous year.  The digital billboards will help combat this trend by promoting the free, 24-hour 211 information service that can assist people experiencing heat emergencies.  MCDPH has funded expanded capacity at the bilingual call center to help connect residents to cooling and respite centers, utility assistance, and A/C repair and replacement during the 2024 heat season.

“Every one of us in Maricopa County, and the surrounding area, is affected by this extreme heat,” said Diane Veres, regional vice president, Clear Channel Outdoor Southwest & Midwest. “And every one of us wants to prevent a summer like 2023. We know thousands of Maricopa County residents and visitors see our billboards daily and it is our hope that those who are in need will respond to these messages by calling 211 for assistance.”

MCDPH research found the biggest barriers to using cooling centers in 2023 were:

  • Not knowing they exist
  • Lack of transportation to cooling centers
  • Not knowing where cooling centers are located

To address this, Maricopa County partnered with City of Phoenix on branded street signs outside all cooling centers, some of which are now open on weekends, too.

“Providing extended hour and overnight respite opportunities is just one of the many ways the City of Phoenix is stepping up to protect our residents during these extreme heat days and months,” says Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego“We are proud to partner with MAG, Clear Channel Outdoor, and Maricopa County to ensure more people—including our most vulnerable—know how to get the help they need to stay safe.”

This new digital billboard campaign with Clear Channel Outdoor will expand awareness further, alerting residents and visitors all over Maricopa County to real-time temperatures and the resources available.

For information on heat illnesses and prevention, visit Maricopa.gov/heat.

For real-time heat data, visit the new MCDPH dashboard.

Value of Trust @Ad_Association Report

June 21st, 2024

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

The Advertising Association has launcheed the Value of Trust report from UK advertising industry think tank, Credos, which reveals that for the first time in a decade, advertising is no longer the UK’s least trusted industry, overtaking the government and media.

New analysis for the report by effectiveness guru Peter Field shows trust has leapt from seventh to second place as a driver of brand effectiveness and financial performance. It also reveals brands who moved away from building longer term trust and towards short-term marketing tactics to defend sales during Covid-19 suffered from falls in profit margins and business effectiveness lasting longer than the economic downturn.

Dan Wilks, Director of Credos said “If people want to truly understand the value of trust in advertising to them, it is best described as results, regulation, and recruitment, or the ‘3R’s of Trust’. Firstly, when it comes to results, trust in brands and trust in advertising media increases profits and overall effectiveness. Secondly, our research shows politicians and policymakers are more likely to impose regulation on an industry deemed untrustworthy. Finally, trust in our industry, its values, and ways of working, is key to attracting and retaining the best talent.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Cookies to Cohorts in Context @ClearChannelUK Report

June 21st, 2024

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

Clear Channel’s latest research report, From Cookies to Cohorts in Context, underscores the significant impact of programmatic digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising on marketers, especially as privacy regulations, cookie deprecation, and ID signal loss complicate customer targeting and campaign measurement.

In this evolving environment, programmatic DOOH emerges as a powerful solution, offering a cookieless, data-driven approach to advertising that enhances targeting and campaign effectiveness while preserving consumer trust.

Read the rest of this entry »

New @Hiperwall Version 9.0

June 20th, 2024

Andrew Neale

Hiperwall, Inc., a leader in software-defined, IP-based video wall and signage control solutions, has announced the release of Hiperwall Version 9.0, a significant milestone in the evolution of its AV-over-IP video wall technology. With a focus on delivering unparalleled performance, flexibility, and ease of use, Hiperwall 9.0 introduces several innovative features designed to meet the diverse and mission-critical needs of command-and-control room customers.

“Taking into consideration the feedback we’ve received from customers, integrators, and channel partners, we made Hiperwall 9.0 an even more powerful tool for streamlining command and control room workflows and operations,” said Dr. Stephen Jenks, co-founder and CEO.

At the heart of Hiperwall 9.0 lies a suite of user experience enhancements aimed at revolutionizing command and control room operations. Among the key features is the introduction of Text Labels and Content Borders, allowing operators and administrators to add text labels to content items and utilize unique color borders for enhanced visual impact of shared objects.

  • Labels: Users can now assign unique text labels to content items through HiperController, HiperOperator, or HiperInterface (Hiperwall’s XML- and HTTP-based control interface), providing a distinct identification method in content lists and improving search functionality. When displayed on the video wall, labels aid in content identification for viewers in the room, supporting multiple languages and character sets.
  • Borders: The introduction of borders allows users to draw attention to specific content on the video wall. Users can choose the border color and thickness, providing a dynamic and attention-grabbing visual experience.

For customers with multiple video walls, text labels and content borders can be adjusted and customized to compensate for wall sizes, viewing distances, and customer preferences, ensuring the best viewing experience.

With Hiperwall 9.0, all video wall systems will now benefit from the enhanced video wall layout flexibility of HiperLayout. Historically an add-on option for higher-end systems, the inclusion of HiperLayout in all Version 9 systems makes it possible for customers to group displays into walls and allows centralized control and content sharing across multiple video walls managed by a single HiperController PC. This upgrade provides numerous other benefits, including the ability to define unique SmartSnap® grids for each video wall in the system, incorporate displays of different sizes and resolutions seamlessly, use arbitrary display names, and easily rotate displays at any angle for artistic layouts.

The latest version of HiperOperator, the main control application for in-room and remote video wall operators, builds upon the significant UI overhaul of Version 8.5 and introduces various new features to enhance ease of use. These features include drag-and-drop functionality for seamless content movement, extended SmartSnap® and SmartSwap® capabilities, and the addition of labels and borders. Users can easily assign labels and custom borders within HiperOperator, streamlining content organization in command-and-control room workflows.

HiperSource Sender also received a significant overhaul aimed at simplifying source management and offering users a comprehensive view of all created sources within the application window, including crucial information such as connection status, size, UUID, and name. The redesigned UI facilitates easy screen area capture through a drag-and-drop sizer window, streamlines the process of adding new sources by opening a dedicated configuration window, and enhances privacy by graying out Sender sources during sensitive activities. It also now offers expanded support for systems with displays of different resolutions and is particularly beneficial for systems utilizing 4K UHD displays in multi-display setups. Beyond the new UI and extended display support, HiperSource Sender now alerts users when configurations pose technical challenges, notifying users with a warning and offering suggestions on how to resolve it.

Exclusive to HiperCare customers, Hiperwall Version 9.0 introduces Settings Backup, a new feature that allows system administrators to save and restore their video wall settings easily. This ensures quick recovery following hardware replacements or upgrades and facilitates the migration of video wall systems to new sites. Additionally, it simplifies the setup of new Hiperwall video wall sites with settings that match previous installations. With Settings Backup, system administrators can efficiently manage and recover Hiperwall settings, ensuring seamless control and recovery of system components in critical situations.

Hiperwall version 9.0 control room video wall software can be purchased today through authorized dealers. Customers with an active HiperCare contract are eligible to upgrade their systems for free. Customers without HiperCare who want to upgrade to version 9.0 are encouraged to contact their authorized Hiperwall dealer or contact Hiperwall to learn more.

Midwich Signs Distribution Deal w/ Hive

June 20th, 2024

Andrew Neale

Midwich has signed a distribution deal with Hive, the manufacturer of scalable media servers that suit any size project.

This exclusive agreement allows Midwich and PSCo to offer Hive’s full range of products in the UK and Ireland and will be launched at their ‘Beyond the Pixel’ event on Thursday 20th June at Innovation House, Bracknell. Hive’s sales director, Nigel Sadler, business development manager, Sarah Cox, and co-founder/managing director, Mark Calvert, will be in-person at the event to deliver presentations and demonstrations of their product line to attendees.

The Beehive, Beebox, and Beeblade products create a flexible and scalable media control ecosystem to power complex and creative visuals in a variety of applications including immersive exhibitions, galleries and museums, live shows, theme parks, and high impact advertising.

Hive has been designed from the ground up on a Linux operating system, to provide rock solid reliable high-performance playback, intuitive ease of use, low power consumption meeting very high standards of sustainability throughout the product, company, and deployment process. This is central to the company’s ethos and is supported by their tagline, ‘ingenious by nature’.

Lloyd Platt, business manager at Midwich, told ua “We’re thrilled to welcome Hive’s full product offering to our portfolio. We pride ourselves on the service we provide our partners and for Hive to choose us as their distribution partner in the UK&I is immensely exciting. We look forward to working together and talking to our customers about their product offering at our upcoming ‘Beyond the Pixel’ event hosted at Innovation House on Thursday 20th June.”

Hive was founded by Dave Green, Trey Harrison and Mark Calvert, who have together delivered video systems for global projects including the BBC Earth Experience, Frameless London, Luna Park Theme Park, Bees at World Museum, London 2012 Olympics, Tokyo Olympics, Dubai World Expo, Eric Prydz’s HOLO, Coldplay World Tours, and the National Museum of Qatar.