The world’s largest billboard in one of the world’s largest cities has just landed one of the world’s largest companies as its first client.
It all seems like a perfect fit.
Google has agreed to rent out the new 25,000-square-foot, 24-million-pixels-rich digital board from November 24 through January 2015. The screen, which was commissioned by the Vornado Realty Trust, began construction in 2012 as part of a $140 million project to expand and redevelop the Marriott Marquis' retail space, the location upon which it is mounted.
The board itself is about the size of a football field — it spans an entire New York City block, stands eight stories tall, and is exposed to approximately 300,000 passers-by each day plus about 115,000 drivers and passengers, according to the Times Square Alliance.
Worth noting: It will be equipped with cameras that will allow onlookers to interact with the display, too.
The new billboard was turned on this past week and will show a nature-inspired digital art piece for the next few days until Google's advertisements begin running.
The price Google is paying to rent the space out has not been confirmed, but the New York Times estimates the cost to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.5 million for four weeks. This means Google’s takeover will cost the company about $4 million during the city’s prime time holiday season.
Also in question is what, exactly, Google will be promoting. The company covers a large range of technologies — immediate products that come to mind include Lollipop (the latest version of the company’s Android operating system), its Nexus 6 and 9 devices, Chrome, and Google Now.
The company could also very well promote its flagship product: Google Search.
According to Clear Channel Spectacolor, which sells the advertising space, the billboard is “the highest-resolution LED video display in the world of this size.”
Harry Coghlan, president of Clear Channel, added, “This innovative and thoroughly distinctive display establishes a new iconic landmark in Times Square while creating a powerful, value proposition for our advertisers. We experienced tremendous pre-sale interest, and the display is sold out to one advertiser through January 2015. We have great confidence that this spectacular billboard will be the most sought-after display in the world for years to come.”
Video of the launch was posted by NTDTV on YouTube:
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