Don't miss ADWEEK House at Cannes, June 16-19. Join us as we celebrate our 45th anniversary and explore the industry's now and next. RSVP.
Billboards using anamorphic 3D technology have revolutionized OOH advertising, allowing for the creation of buzzworthy immersive activations. The 14,000-square-foot 3D billboard above the Edition Hotel on the corner of 47th Street and Seventh Avenue in New York’s Times Square has been used to promote the launch of HBO’s House of the Dragon, rapper 2 Chainz’s latest album and, as of recently, BMW.
The brand released two separate animated billboards developed by Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), making BMW the first automotive brand to secure an animation on the major board. The first ad, animated by BCN Visuals, revealed the BMW XM, showing a countdown before a garage door opens and a new hybrid electric vehicle peels out. The background shifts to a mountainscape, with the car appearing to drive out of the display and execute a tight turn, kicking up a cloud of dirt and gravel before pulling back into the garage. The animation finishes with the text “Ultimate power. Ultimate luxury,” directing viewers to the vehicle’s dedicated website to place a preorder.
Luxury in 3D
“Exploring what’s possible in the anamorphic media space has been an invigorating experience,” GS&P executive creative director Wes Phelan said in a statement. “Then to create such a high-profile auto animation is the cherry on top.”
The second billboard, created by Cekai, showcases the auto brand’s partnership with fashion brand Kith, the BMW i4 M50. Beginning with the original 1972 BMW 1602 Elektro, the orange car morphs into Kith founder Ronnie Fieg’s interpretation of the vehicle painted in Kith Vitality Green before it’s seen retreating back into the garage for a recharge.
“To launch a second 3D billboard for BMW—this time in collaboration with Kith—brings different and exciting aesthetics together into a single fast-paced animation. We couldn’t be happier with the result,” said Matthew Edwards, GS&P executive creative director.
BMW has been heavily promoting its electric vehicles with a variety of splashy ad campaigns. The brand plugged its BMW iX in an Earth Day spot featuring a voiceover from actor Chris Pine, and the iX and the BMW i4 were the subjects of a Super Bowl ad starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek Pinault.
