PlayStation and Phantom Billstickers unveil a reality-bending street takeover in Auckland

PlayStation has partnered with Phantom Billstickers to launch a large-scale street-level brand activation in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Designed to capture the attention of pedestrians, the campaign combines physical craft, immersive technology and cinematic design elements to introduce the PlayStation universe into an everyday environment.

The activation is intended to create the impression that something has visibly disrupted the space.

A portal brought to life

At the heart of the installation is a glowing neon and LED portal, constructed with bespoke framing, sculpted surfaces and a hand-painted energy field. In daylight, it disrupts the streetscape; at night, it becomes a beacon, crackling with electric blues that spill onto the footpath and surrounding walls.

Above it, a large-format billboard completes the illusion, appearing “broken open” as a PlayStation portal bursts through the brickwork. Together, the elements form a cohesive narrative, offering an immersive experience from multiple vantage points.

Technology meets street art

The takeover features:

• Custom-engineered framing that warps, bends and leans to mimic gravitational distortion
• A neon/LED energy portal built specifically for this campaign, illuminating the site day and night
• Motion-sensored UFO light beams that activate as people approach, pulling them into an otherworldly encounter
• Fully custom paintwork, from environmental textures to crack effects, creating a genuinely dimensional rip in the streetscape

A new benchmark for experiential OOH

“This campaign is the perfect expression of what happens when a brand is brave enough to break convention,” says Connor Lucas-Dyer, creative lead at Phantom Billstickers.

“PlayStation wanted something unforgettable. That ambition gave us permission to build an entire street-level experience that feels like the PlayStation universe pushing into ours.”

The installation has already generated significant public attention, with people gathering at dusk to watch the neon portal come to life and interact with the motion-triggered elements.

Playstation marketing director ANZ Pat Lagana says this campaign is more than just an OOH display – it’s a celebration of the immersive worlds PlayStation has been providing gamers over the last 30 years.

“With the incredible support of our partners; Essence Mediacom NZ, Phantom Billstickers, MakeReady and Eleven PR, we wanted to create an installation that feels like the aftermath of an epic gaming experience – something bold, interactive, and impossible to ignore.

“Inspired by our ‘It Happens on PS5’ global campaign, it is designed to connect with Kiwis looking for amazing entertainment this holiday season.”

Social media sharing has amplified the impact further, turning the site into a destination in its own right.