Toronto’s agencies are battling it out tomorrow night in Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square as part of an event hosted by Clear Channel, OBN and Penex Media, showcasing the impact of large digital video boards. Both media and creative agencies will be competing in the popular videogame Rock Band for a chance to win a four-week digital campaign for the charity of their choice.
‘We wanted to show that, as competitors in the digital OOH industry, we can come together to showcase how impactful large-format digital outdoor can be when used boldly and creatively,’ Dora Alexander, VP of advertising sales at Outdoor Broadcast Network tells MiC, adding that the need for the event was felt because of a ‘perceived lack of awareness’ of many in the ad community of some of the changes and evolution that the square has been through in recent years.
Technological components that can be wrapped into digital outdoor campaigns are also being featured, with interactive elements like live video streaming to the boards for events, SMS messaging for real-time consumer interaction and synchronized ads that play off each other on different digital boards. There will also be a live texting component with prizes up for grabs.
Alexander says the event is also a fun way to give back to the community by donating an awareness campaign for the winning agency’s charity of choice. In addition, she says the competition also helps build ‘a better understanding of how competing signs in the square can work together’.
Held at Hard Rock Café in the square, the event, which starts at 6 pm, features live video streaming during the gaming portion of the night (6:30 pm – 7:30 pm), followed by a screening of the best creative campaigns that have appeared on the video boards to showcase their synchronization abilities.
