Google May Be the First to Advertise on Times Square’s New Record-Breaking Billboard
The biggest and brightest billboard in Times Square lit up last week to hundreds of captivated spectators. Times Square has long been an advertising mecca, but the new digital billboard sets records in terms of size, clarity, and brightness.
The New York Times reports that Clear Channel Outdoor New York is selling the ad space on the billboard. The SVP of Marketing for Clear Channel, David Grabert, told Forbes that the billboard is a single billboard measuring approximately 78′ x 320′. The billboard also boasts a pixel density (which promotes clarity) of 2,368 x 10,048, which is the highest resolution for video displays in the world.
The billboard also has video capabilities, high resolution crowd cameras, and live broadcast feed capabilities.
So what company will be taking advantage of the record-breaking 25,000 square feet of ad space?
The price of a four-week ad spot on the billboard is going to run about $2.5 million, and none other than Google has stepped up for the debut ad, which will run through January 2015, according to The New York Times.
Every day, more than 300,000 people walk through the Times Square “bow tie,” where the billboard is located on the front of the Marriott Marquis hotel, so the billboard will undoubtedly catch the attention of passersby.
Billboards have been an advertising staple for over 100 years, when the standard model started appearing on America’s streets and highways — and businesses that don’t have Google’s advertising budget can still benefit from using them. Recent studies report that almost 60% of people were reminded to tune in to a television show from viewing a billboard, and more than three quarters of people notice billboards along major motorways.
