Hasta La Creative!

Experiential agency Pearl Media is behind an activation in the Times Square subway station featuring Carmello Anthony and other players inviting commuters to play a game of “Pop-A-Shot” for Kumho Tire.

The “Pop-A-Shot” game, part of a larger campaign launched back in January on social media, features virtual versions of NBA players tossing a ball towards passers-by, which appears to shatter the screen in the process. When commuters then to step in for a game, they see that basketballs have been replaced by Kumho tires. It’s not the most groundbreaking effort, but it does seem pretty fun. And injecting a little fun into a stressful commute is not a bad way to get people to remember your brand.

“This experience is designed to take fans beyond their expectations with their favorite game,” said Josh Cohen, CEO, Pearl Media. “Bringing this type of excitement and action into one of the busiest NYC transit stations is a memorable way to drive awareness of Kumho.”

Pearl Media’s interactive billboard at Columbus Circle attempts to spook passing subway riders with a large screen ad that responds to their movements.

The gesture-activated, multimedia billboard has been promoting Witches of East End since September 13th. As Pearl Media CEO Josh Cohen puts it, “The video walls are designed to get busy Upper West Side commuters to put down their small screens and spend time with cool content on a really big screen so that they’ll tune in to their medium-sized TV screens when the series premieres on October 6.” Phew. I think Louis C.K. would probably have something to say about that one.

At any rate, the billboard features two nine square-foot walls, comprised of nine screens each. An extreme close up of a woman’s green iris appears to follow commuters as they walk by, masses of crows fly out of her pupil as the scene changes to trees slowly being consumed by fire. The more movement from those passing by, the more the scene changes. Music and sound are also integrated into the interactive billboard.

The billboard didn’t seem to actually scare anybody (nor, I think, will Witches of East End), but it did stop some people in their tracks and get them to interact with the billboard. Some of them seemed to be having fun. Whether that will get anyone to actually tune into Lifetime is another story.

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