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APN Outdoor bringing digital billboards to Auckland

This week saw the launch of APN Outdoor’s ‘Turning Heads’ campaign and top of the agenda towards getting people to turn heads is the launch of new large format digital billboards in Auckland.

The first of APNO’s digital billboards will be up and running from 1 July, located at 350 Queen Street and measuring 12m by 3m. The LED signage will run a rotation of six static ads switching out every eight seconds. The billboard does not play video content because it would possibly be distracting to drivers on the busy CBD road.

APN Outdoor New Zealand general manager Phil Clemas says the existing vinyl skin billboard (across the road from Aotea Square) will be replaced in early June.

“We’re celebrating moving away from static vinyl printed skins which we replace monthly to this self illuminated LED technology. Not only does it give us the potential to host more creative content but it’s also more [environmentally]friendly,” he says.

Clemas won’t reveal the first six advertisers on board for the launch.

The billboards are web-connected for uploading collateral to the screen. As with so many other ad mediums, Clemas says APNO is exploring integrating interactive elements to its new digital property – especially around connecting it with social media campaigns. 

Large format digital billboards are uncommon in New Zealand (a first according to APNO and we were unable to find any prior art to disprove that claim). One of the challenges then is educating brands and ad agencies about the medium. Clemas says so far there hasn’t been any substantial work done in this regard.

“There’s not been a great deal of work done yet with educating advertisers, I admit. We definitely don’t want to just take static content from one box and place it in another. We really want advertisers to make the most of this new technology,” he says.

APNO will roll out more digital billboards throughout Auckland in the next 6 to 12 months. If the Queen Street billboard and other Auckland billboards do well, Clemas says APNO will expand the format nationally.

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