ScreenFX Prepares Largest Ever Plasma Screen Network
A relatively unknown outdoor advertising company is preparing to deliver the largest ever full motion plasma screens to shopping malls across the country, effectively reaching 200 million visitors a year with broadcast quality adverts at a fraction of the cost of TV.
The company, called ScreenFX, plans to launch its network of 175 plasma screens in May, operating in ten locations initially but extending to twenty within six months potentially giving advertisers access to 200 million shoppers who are “poised to spend” on products being targetted at them.
Commenting on the launch, managing director of ScreenFX, Dave Clark, said: “Its a 63″ screen, the biggest you can get. When most people think of a plasma screen, they think of maybe a 40″ that they have seen in a retail outlet. These screens have a five foot diagonal so it’s almost as tall as a person, the equivalent size of an outdoor advertising six sheet.”
Clark added: “If an advertiser wanted to put a campaign together they would spend say £10 million. Of that figure maybe six would go on TV and four would go on support media, so papers and outdoor. That would only give them static posters in the outdoor market. This is a moving screen just as you have with the TV and the quality is absolutely superb. Advertisers could transfer TV campaigns direct to the outdoor market.”
The company already has several big name brands signed up to advertise through the screens, including BT, Adidas, Mars and Disney. With TV audiences becoming more dispersed in their viewing habits, Clark is certain that advertisers will see the potential in the accountability and accessability of the screens.
“TV is becomming more disperate now and people are questionning how effective it is.” He explained. “This is a physical market so we have audited figures of how many people pass through those shopping centres each year. We’re confident that this is the biggest thing to hit advertising since TV. It’s massive.”
The move follows a successful few months for the outdoor advertising industry. Last month saw revenue top £225 million in the three months to December 2003, putting the medium on course to command an unprecidented 10% market share (see Outdoor Results Show Record Growth And Market Share).
At the time of the results Alan James, chief executive of the OAA, predicted large scale digital screens would form a large part of the outdoor advertising industry’s future. He explained: “There is a slow but meaningful growth in digital screens, which is classed as outdoor advertising. They’re in railway stations, they’re in supermarkets, some will be in doctors, dentists or DIY stores. We will see rapid growth there.”
ScreenFX: 020 7240 0123 www.screenfx.com
Recent Related Stories from NewsLine Megaposter Puts Wheels In Motion For Giant Alfa Campaign Times Promotes Sport Section With Outdoor Push MegaPoster Unveils Euro 2004 Giant Billboard Portfolio
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive