Opinion
Media Choice: Digital escalator panels
13.12.2006Emma Dibben, Director of Outdoor This week Viacom are celebrating the extension of their Digital Escalator Panels in a further four underground locations situated in Euston, Charing Cross, Paddington and Bond Street to add to the existing offering in Tottenham Court Road. Following their successful Underground tender, this heralds the start of Viacom’s digital roll out which will continue into 2007 to be sold by ‘Alive’ the newly created Viacom Digital team.
The DEPs offer the familiar benefits of digital outdoor: short copy lead-times, quick copy changes and day-part alterations. Although hugely beneficial to the advertiser, these benefits are no longer a novelty given that Tranvision is well-established and that Clear Channel recently launched their digital billboards. What Viacom will offer, however, is location location location. There is no doubt that the Tottenham Court Road sites have been very successful and the extended number of stations is likely to appeal to a broader range of advertisers given that commuter stations are now included and Bond Street will appeal to fashion / luxury goods advertisers.
As with any form of digital media, the challenge to clients / creative agencies is to crack an effective use of creative and to exploit the creative benefits of the medium: Sony Bravia were a good example of this at Tottenham Court Road. It will also be interesting to see how Viacom research their new initiative as they roll them out.
The next year or so will prove crucial for Viacom’s success and there is no doubt that all eyes are on the introduction of X-Track Projection – it’s been a long wait!
