Madrid and its Gran Vía still breathe that “aire” neon lights

Madrid's Plaza del Callao wants to become a benchmark for outdoor digital advertising. The facades of two of its emblematic buildings, those of the Callao Cinemas and the Press Palace, house five gigantic LED screens with interactive capabilities, augmented and 3D reality to connect with 113 millions of people who pass through this renovated and pedestrianized agora every year, opening a world of interaction possibilities for brands with consumers.

Callao Cinemas, work of the architect Luis Gutiérrez Soto, were inaugurated on 11 December 1926 with the premiere of 'Luis Candelas, the bandit of Madrid’ (biopic of the famous bandit born in Lavapiés). Since its beginnings, These cinemas have been a point of reference in the cultural activity of the capital. It has rained a lot since then: hundreds of premieres, some remodeling works, the revival of classics commemorating the 100 years of the Gran Vía… 86 years of history that have made Plaza del Callao the heart of the capital and the nerve center of tourism and leisure in the city.

Not in vain, The square is a must-visit area for tourists passing through Madrid.. It is the third busiest square in Europe, what they go through annually 113 millions of people, It has space that allows the concentration of up to 10.000 people and has a road traffic of 51.000 daily vehicles.

A new way to approach consumers

two years ago, the company that owns this emblematic building in the central Madrid square (Callao Shows) began a commercial metamorphosis to create a “cinema lighthouse” in the center of the capital, renewing the signage of the Callao Cinemas and Palacio de la Prensa. The traditional posters that occupied the façade of both buildings have thus been converted into five large screens with latest generation LED technology and 3D features. (two in the Callao Cinemas and three in the Palacio de la Prensa) that have been broadcasting images for a year and that give the Plaza del Callao a new dimension, turning it into a cultural and leisure epicenter.

It's about the project Callao City Lights: more than 250 square meters of interactive screens with superior Full HD quality, suitable for new audiovisual technologies, what they offer, in addition to a new advertising support, data on cultural programming in Madrid, municipal information and advertising; and thanks to the technology they incorporate, allow the broadcast of events of all kinds (cultural, sports, etc.), and the creation of interactive events with citizen participation.

The creation of this new large-scale interactive advertising medium, which facilitates numerous cultural and commercial possibilities, for both advertisers and visitors to the plaza, It represents the citizen revitalization of one of the most emblematic areas of Madrid and a commitment to the world of cinema. It is also a commitment to innovation in the way brands can approach consumers., and interact with them in a public and open space such as the street. It is a unique communication model capable of offering interactivity in three different scenarios at the same time.: the square, screens and the Internet.

“It is more than just a series of screens. It is a project to recover an emblematic site of Madrid that, once, It was the reference place for Spanish cinema. We want to once again turn the center of Madrid into a reference place for cinema and preserve the cinematographic activity of emblematic buildings in the square., like the one at the Callao Cinema, identity signs of cultural events in Madrid”, say those responsible for Callao City Lights.

focus of attraction

The company in charge of implementing these devices has been the Swedish multinational telecommunications company Ericcson, which has opted for LED screens from the North American manufacturer Daktronics. Daktronics DVX screen installed to create new advertising support in historic cinema architecture. The screens incorporate pitch technology 10 (distance between LEDs 10 mm) and have been designed with the latest technology on the market to have the highest resolution and HD capacity in Spain. They represent a great advance in terms of technology, increasing by a 60% the definition of the image. Daktronics LED technology ensures long life with minimal maintenance, while delivering vibrant, full-color images, shocking for viewers.

Gerardo Baranowski, general director of Callao City Lights, has pointed out: “The quality of the image, colors, contrast, The brightness and HD definition of the Daktronics screens has allowed us to have an ideal launch of our project. The impact and recognition we have received from our clients and the general public confirms that we have chosen the best manufacturer for our project.”

In the Plaza del Callao a screen has been implemented 101 m2 of pipe 10 (1.009.800 pixelated), and on Jacometrezo street, one of 130 m2 of pipe 10 (1.396.000 pixelated), both with 3D image emission capacity, while a third screen of 36m2 of pict has been installed on the marquee of the Press Palace 10 (356.400 pixelated) in the front, and two sides of 8,80 m2 , with views of Gran Vía. Las 5 LED screens together add up to almost 10.900.000 daily impacts -5.310.000 in Callao and Gran Vía and 5.568.000 those of the Press Palace-.

Daktronics DVX display video modules are highly rugged and offer protection from environmental elements. The water, the dust, and any other type of waste material, They cannot enter so the modules are very reliable. The DVX product line is known for its high visibility capacity with the minimum number of pixels at a distance.; This allows for wide viewing angles and detailed images.

Mike Charles, Daktronics International Sales Representative, has commented: “Daktronics is very excited to be part of that project, and this represents Daktronics' largest single project in Spain.”

Infochannel 5 the Scala

For the management of the project's digital signage, Ericcson opted for software Scala Infochannel 5 and the local partner of the North American company, ASVideo, supplied and installed a control manager and players for total redundancy for both player and content manager, as well as three Infochannel Designer systems, that allow you to create multimedia productions with the visual impact of TV and update content over the Internet.

The implementation process of the broadcast system is generated in the connection between the players of previously ingested content and the broadcast of these contents through the screens.. Due to the variety of signals we work with, both in static content (JPEG, TIFF, PSD), as in dynamic, (WMV, QuickTime, .avi, .mov), A robust and stable server was necessary to be able to broadcast the content without problems. This broadcast is carried out by generating play-lists for subsequent broadcast.

The content that is broadcast on the screens is prepared for broadcast by passing a prior quality control process., verification of the content to be issued, authorization and validation for issuance. Once this process has passed, It is programmed depending on the type of contract signed with the client.

Previews in the purest Hollywood style

This innovative format allows brands to interact with citizens and participate in large events.. Since July 2011, The five large LED screens have been direct witnesses of massive events such as the celebration of the victory of the Spanish basketball team in the Eurobasket in Lithuania, concerts like David Otero's 'El Pescao', the celebration of 50 West Side Story birthday, the Madrid Premiere Week or the European e-Commerce Conference 'EEC'11'. In addition, through the screens, Madrid residents and tourists were able to attend live events as special as the World Youth Day WYD Madrid 2011 or the exclusive broadcast of the History channel documentary '102 minutes that changed the United States'.’ on the occasion of the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

This initiative also allows these spaces to be provided with special lighting in order to focus attention., highlight the activities that take place in the rooms and become points of reference for the celebration of major events related to culture and entertainment. In this way, The glamor of the red carpet is gradually returning to the Callao cinema as the usual setting for numerous premieres, which have also been seen live on the screens, like the European premiere of 'Green Lantern’ starring Ryan Reynolds, ‘Millennium’ with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, the fourth installment of 'Mission Impossible’ con Tom Cruise, 'Tintin’ by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, 'The hunger games’ or the recently released 'The Amazing Spiderman', from Spanish films like 'The Contrary to Love’ o 'XP3D', or the live broadcast from London of the premiere of the latest film in the 'Harry Potter' saga, that connected Callao live with the red carpet of Trafalgar Square, in a broadcast shared only by Madrid and the English capital.

When premieres are held, premieres, congresses, presentations, etc., contents are coordinated and shared with the daily broadcast. The premiere time is reserved and the live signal is connected to the event through promotional videos, live production or video clips. The events held in cinemas and broadcast on screens can also be followed online through the Callao City Lights page and the profiles created on the social networks Facebook, Twitter or Youtube channel. Photos of the events are also posted on Flickr.

User participation options

The Plaza del Callao thus becomes a focus of citizen attention at the level of such emblematic spaces as Times Square in New York or Picadilly Circus in London.. But beyond the ads, emissions and cultural information that are projected in them, LED screens also propose interacting with them through mobile devices and social networks. Callao City Light has worked with various companies that have generated applications with the most avant-garde technology through which you can download music or video; send messages that appear on screens; follow live the events that take place in the cinema, commenting live, about the image of celebrities on the red carpet; or send photos with dedications.

When the square is the scene of concerts and live events, the audio can be heard through the mobile. The power of the systems integration tool allows, besides, the possibility of playing online through X-Box platforms with other locations in the world, or the use of augmented reality applications and holography to interact with passersby.

For the anniversary of 30 years of McDonald's, An action was generated in the Plaza del Callao inviting people to blow out the candles of a virtual cake projected on the interactive screens. Thanks to an augmented reality application developed for iPhone and Android devices, those attending the meeting were able to connect to the screen with QR codes, downloading an APP application, and through your Facebook profile and participate live in the massive blowing out of the birthday cake candles and access prizes redeemed at the establishments of the fast food restaurant chain.

Also, on the occasion of the Red Cross flag festival, The event became an interactive event thanks to which the photograph of each donor appeared on the giant screens for a few seconds. There were also comments from fifteen bloggers who, from the El Corte Inglés cafeteria, They commented on the visit of the various celebrities’ to the solidarity event and, both, the comments that were reflected, from different social networks, were made about the event.

Beyond cinema advertising

The installation and commissioning of these screens is only the first step of an ambitious project that will be enriched with a total remodeling of the spaces of the Callao Cinema building., a reference in cinematographic history for being the first to exhibit a sound film in Spain, 'The Jazz Singer’ in 1929, and the first 3D movie in a commercial cinema, which will allow all types of activities and events related to the world of cinema and culture to be carried out., in the style of what the Odeon Cinemas represent in England.

As the first phase of this revitalization, The latest 3D image and sound technologies have been installed, also maintaining its historic projectors 35 mm, that will allow film premieres to be celebrated at the same national and European level; as well as film cycles. Later, its interior will be remodeled, providing it with the greatest comforts for spectators., installing a circuit of digital signage screens that allow you to see from inside the cinema what is happening outside.

Paco Rodríguez Arnuero, Director of Operations of Callao City Lights, explains it like this: “In the evolution of this project, An audiovisual environment is planned and designed throughout the building. We propose a unique experience to involve all our guests and of course the spectators in the plaza at the current time.. If a premiere is being developed, that you can see the actors, the red carpet with the guests, el photocall, in any location in the cinema through giant monitors. If records are being signed, that the event can be followed through the screens and monitors inside the building, that the public feels like they are protagonists of the event that is taking place at that moment”.

• Customer:
  Callao City Lights
• Integrator:
  Ericcson
• Screens:
  Daktronics
• Configuration:
  • Callao Square: screen 101 m2 of pipe 10 y 10,2×9,90 meters high, (1.009.800 pixelated).
  • Jacometrezo Street: screen 130 m2 of pipe 10 y 12,90×9,90 meters high, (1.396.000 pixelated).
  • Press Palace: central screen 36 m2 of pipe 10 y 15,90×2,10 meters high, (356.400 pixelated); and two side screens 8,8 m2 of pipe 10 y 4,20×2,10 meters high, (88,200 pixelated).
• Players and software:
  Scala y ASVideo

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