Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com April 18, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 3 Continued E. Hartford firm scales new terrain with 3D NYC billboard By John Stearns jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com A n East Hartford-based company scaled new terrain in helping orchestrate an advertising cam- paign that involved erecting a climbing wall on a towering Times Square bill- board in New York City. Out Of Home America | Wilkins Media (OOHA Wilkins) complement- ed and executed the creative concepts of ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi of Los Angeles, which created an experien- tial advertisement for Toyota's RAV4 Hybrid "How Far Will You Take It" campaign. The billboard was timed during the New York International Auto Show. Three professional climbers repeatedly scaled the wall from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from March 22-24, said Patricia Turosz, Out Of Home America's director of client part- nerships, and the cam- paign had the desired effect, bringing the 120-foot wall to life. A female amateur climber also scaled it, once. The show ended April 3, but the 3D bill- board was scheduled to remain in place through April 10, sans climbers, after which the wall would be dismantled. "The best experien- tial media, whether it's on a billboard or it's on the ground, is some- thing that's going to get people to stop and stare, take a picture and share," said Turo- sz, who's based out of OOHA Wilkins' Santa Monica, Calif., office and executed the proj- ect. "That's what we're aiming for, so it has that afterlife." Advertisers want to stand out and have raised the bar on what companies like OOHA Wilkins are doing in the outdoor and experi- ential space, she said. "And you're going to see more of it," Turosz said. "It breathes a breath of new life into out- door media because of the social media echo that is created with such events." Blaine Branchik, associate professor of marketing at Quinnipiac University, hadn't seen the wall, but lauded the thinking behind it and bang for the buck generated by what was expected to be ample social media shar- ing by passersby, especially gawking tourists. "They see this very unusual, very unorth- odox advertisement and they can't help but whip out their smartphones and whether it's photos or videos, you better believe that's on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, it's every- where all of a sudden; so therefore, it's gotten this national exposure," Branchik said. "They're trying to break through the clut- ter in the most visually cluttered spot in the United States," Branchik said. "How ironic is that? It's visually so clever." Turosz ensured the billboard was well- located — on the side of the DoubleTree Suites By Hilton Hotel at 47th Street and 7th Avenue — and across from a hotel Toyota used to enter- tain media and others, giving guests a good view of the climbing action and campaign. She had to work hard to find a billboard strong enough to support 6,000 pounds of climbing wall and climbers, then had to secure city permits and other approvals to pull it off. "Honestly, there aren't very many static billboards left in Time Square that are truly a billboard that has the steel backing," she said of finding the right support structure. Blake Wassenaar, executive producer of experiential for Saatchi & Saatchi, which is Toyota's agency of record and developed the climbing idea, enjoyed partnering with OOHA Wilkins on the campaign's production. "I can't say enough positive things about them," he said. Turosz declined to release the cost of the campaign. A report on Investopedia.com said Times Square billboards could cost $1.1 million to $4 million per year, which comes to about $92,000 to $333,000 per month. "In Times Square right now, the Times Square Alliance is allowing a lot more of these out-of- the-box campaigns," Turosz said as advertisers try to up the experiential advertising ante. "It's definitely unique, definitely something that's never been done before," Turosz said. "It was the largest outdoor rock-climbing wall in New York City, the first rock-climbing wall on A climber scales the rock-climbing wall attached to a Times Square billboard for the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid — an experiential advertising campaign that launched during the New York International Auto Show. P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D www.kelsercorp.com/cybercrime www.kelsercorp.com 111 Roberts St, Suite D East Hartford, CT 06108 860 610 2200 Secure them. Students trust you with their school records.

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