Digital Outdoor Program / Budweiser New Year’s Eve in Times Square
For the past 6 years, Switch has managed and developed content for Anheuser-Busch’s LED billboard in the center of Times Square. Switch also produces content for satellite boards at iconic locations like Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre on the Sunset Strip, The Miracle Mile board on Las Vegas Blvd and the Phoenix Legends board along with digital stadium signage and direction boards at various venues and locations.
In addition to producing content for A-B’s myriad of digital boards, Switch also develops brand programming and activation for the iconic Times Square location. For years, Budweiser has been at the center of the largest New Year’s Eve party in the world. Year after year, the NYC Times Square board leads the crowd in bringing in the New Year from major cities across the globe. For 2011, the Bud Brand Team and A-B Media Services wanted to enhance their NYE presence to keep NYE attendees in the square engaged as well as expand Bud’s reach online and across the nation. Bud worked with Switch to create a program to invite Times Square and nationwide online consumers to participate in Budweiser’s Countdown Celebration.
For the hundreds of thousands passing through the square over the holidays, the hook was BIG … as big as seeing yourself on Bud’s 40’x70’ LED board! Anyone 21+ with a smartphone and Facebook account could participate. Using a customized tab, Bud brand ambassadors on the ground and promotional spots on the boards drove consumers to the Bud FB page, prompting them to “like” the page and upload a message/photo. The content was refreshed throughout the day and night, allowing consumers to see themselves and their friends larger than life on the board. Consumers abroad also could download a screenshot of their image pasted on a mockup on the board. Utilizing Facebook was key allowing Bud’s digital team to significantly grow their FB fan base, but it also provided a step to age-gate participants, making sure they were 21 or over.
