The Power Of Building Projections

by Nomadix Media

Posted on August 02, 2017


The Power Of Building Projections

This is the first of 4 blogs on projection advertising, from the Power of Projections, Large-scale Projections, Projection Positioning Problems, and How To Measure & Increase The Effectiveness of Building Projections.

The Power Of Projections

For over a decade we have activated brands using Guerrilla Marketing techniques, infiltrating brand messages into the space around us, using the landscape as a blank canvas to capture attention and get people talking. We've designed and executed outdoor projections for global brands throughout the UK and further afield including the worlds first synchronised projection campaign across 11 countries for Levis 501. You name it - Westminster, Battersea Power Station, White Cliffs of Dover, Angel of the North and Edinburgh Castle – been there, done it to death...and here’s where the problem lies.

Whilst projection technology has significantly improved over the years, the quality and number of suitable canvas sites for so called “giant scale” projections have decreased, their effectiveness diminished somewhat.

Looking at projections today, we have access to a wide range of powerful technology and exciting creative applications such as 3D mapping, and with the added amplification power of social media, the reach of a great projection could go global. Think back to the Queens Jubilee, you will probably remember the incredible light show with the crumbling, dancing Buckingham palace or DJ Deadmaus working a crowd at Millbank Tower, London for the launch of the Nokia Lumia 800. In both cases giant scale projections beamed spectacular 3D mapped content in exact synergy with the architecture of the building, accompanied by live music.

These events were highly planned with event scale resources to implement and manage the show. Each show utilised stacked top of the range video projectors, each projector needing 2 - 3 men to carry not to mention the independent power generators to drive these hungry pieces of equipment. What’s incredible is the cost of each projector varies from £30,000 – £100,000. Let’s say for a good quality 3D mapping show like Buckingham Palace, you could easily use 30-50 of these projectors, add in logistics, building management, security and an event team before considering the cost of content creation and supporting band or DJ. While it’s plain to see that projection technology and associated complexities like 3D mapping have moved on at the speed of light, there’s huge cost and planning implication in making these shows, making it much less likely to witness a ‘pop up’ or guerrilla style 3D projection show on any old landmark or building. 

Check out part 2 of our 4 part Building Projection blog series: Large-scale Projections.