DailyDOOH

Another #ScreenMediaExpo presentation we are looking forward to is on Day 1 Channel 2: “On Screen” 1030-1100.

It’s our old friend and DailyDOOH contributor Alex Hughes presenting on ‘Designing and Developing Content for new technologies: Christie Digital MicroTiles‘

In this presentation, Alex will be explaining why working with MicroTiles is unlike working with any other screen out there – the resolutions are totally different, the shapes are unique and the way content is handled is also challenging.

His presentation will examines ways in which one can effectively design for MicroTiles; what works and what doesn’t, the challenges of designing content that works well on them and how to approach, from a creative perspective, different types of content projects using MicroTiles.

Alex will also present three case studies: -

1. Pop Up Life: How to use 2D hi resolution Photography to create animated visually arresting 3D environments
2. The Empire State Building: Designing for a purpose; creating a marketing tool for the Empire State Building and how shape was used to communicate the content more effectively
3. Unusual shapes, unusual content – the more artistic approach to content development – creating a story with your content using stop frame animation techniques

About Alex Hughes, Strategy Director, Amigo Digital

Alex’s career spans Digital Media, Moving Image & Television; he built the moving image department of Deepend, a new media agency founded in 1994, renowned for its creativity, that grew to over 200 people in 8 international offices.

He moved to ITV Network, the UK’s first commercial TV broadcaster, developing their web and Interactive TV (iTV) strategy and then MTV Networks Europe as New Platforms Director where he established and implemented the iTV Strategy for the 7 MTV channels; the backbone of which can currently be seen on MTV today.

Alex’s skills lie developing effective creative communication strategies for brands across digital media. His experience encompasses all aspects of a business communications strategy – from design and branding to implementation and advertising. He has worked with some of the world’s top brands including Smirnoff, Baileys, FujiFilm, Boots, The FT, Volkswagen and Calvin Klein.

New York-based Eyeblaster Inc., a global provider of digital marketing campaign management solutions to advertisers and agencies, has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed initial public offering of its common stock.

After withdrawing plans for a previous IPO back in 2008, Eyeblaster now wants to raise up to $115 million in an initial public offering of shares. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the offering have not yet been determined, according to the company’s website.


J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. are serving as joint bookrunners and Pacific Crest Securities LLC, FBR Capital Markets & Co., ThinkEquity LLC and Broadpoint Capital Inc. are serving as co-managers for the proposed offering.


The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus.

Eyeblaster provides media and creative agencies, advertisers and publishers with an integrated platform to manage campaigns across digital media channels and a variety of formats – mainly online to be fair but with an increasing focus on mobile more recently as well.

While iPhone apps are in the multi-thousands, this new one from Miller Lite drew our attention: the beer brand’s Tip ‘n Spin, launched in time for March Madness, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Championship.

The new application provides a unique, fun experience for legal-drinking-age basketball fans by allowing them to compete and earn points by balancing a basketball on a Miller Lite bottle with their iPhone. The application was created by digital agency Digitas in partnership with U.S. mobile media agency MediaMob.

Tip ‘n Spin, MillerCoors’ sixth iPhone app, is an example of how a leading consumer packaged goods brand is embracing mobile technology to tap into passions of their audience. The application is integrated with Miller Lite’s March hoops marketing campaign that is rolling out nationwide. Fans can download the app from iTunes or the App Store on their iPhone or iPod Touch and can play, earn points and then later share the results with their friends on Facebook.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide our fans and their friends with a fun and engaging way to connect with their favorite light beer as they enjoy March hoops,” says Mike Davitt, Miller Lite marketing manager. “Mobile applications have been a huge hit with beer drinkers.”

The application provides an easy tool to add fans to the ‘Miller Lite Taste Nation’ Facebook page, as well as a landing page within the application to drive downloads for other mobile applications from MillerCoors. Additionally, a promotional video for the app will be featured in an online ad on CBSsports.com during the March basketball tournament.

Founded in October, 2009, MediaMob Inc., a premier U.S. mobile media agency, provides innovative mobile marketing solutions for brands, media companies and their agencies. The company offers a 360-degree approach to creating, developing and promoting cutting-edge mobile applications that allow world-class companies to engage with their customers at the deepest level possible.

Digitas is a leading digital marketing agency, helping the world’s biggest brands develop, engage and profit from building profitable relationships with their customers. The Agency pairs media, marketing, technology, creativity, imagination and analytics to ignite emotional bonds between people and brands. Digitas also operates the brand content platform, The Third Act:, the independent healthcare marketing brand, Digitas Health, as well as Prodigious Worldwide, the world’s only standalone, global digital productions company. With sister agencies Starcom MediaVest, ZenithOptimedia and Denuo, Digitas is a member of Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi—a global digital knowledge and resource center that leverages the combined scale of the autonomous operations of its members to develop new services, new tools, and new partnerships. Paris-based Publicis Groupe S.A. is the world’s third largest communications group, the world’s second largest media counsel and buying group, and a global leader in digital and healthcare communications. With around the world activities spanning more than 104 countries on five continents, the Groupe employs as many as 44,000 professionals.

Tailoring its commercial product line for the digital signage market, Moorpark, California-based SunBriteTV, innovator of all-weather outdoor television technology, has launched its new 46” all-weather portrait-mode digital display targeted for permanent outdoor commercial installations.

The new display, Model 4650EST, has a corrosion-resistant, powder-coated aluminum exterior that protects the internal LCD components from rain, dirt, insects and extreme temperature ranges. Built into the exterior is an anti-reflective, impact- and scratch-resistant window that protects the LCD screen, reduces glare and improves the picture quality.

The hex-fan airflow system keeps the display cool in temperatures up to 124ºdegrees F while, in extremely cold climates, the interior heater activates automatically when the internal temperature dips to 32º F and allows the display to safely remain outdoors in temperatures as low as -24º F.

SunBriteTV’s innovative watertight cable entry system and cable pass-through design ensures quick and easy hook-up to a wide selection of video inputs. And the 46” HD LCD screen displays a bright 1920 x 1080 pixel image with a 4000:1 contrast ratio. It will be available March 30, at approximately US$5295.

SunBriteTV has also launched a 32” LCD display and weather-resistant interactive touch screen integrated into SunBriteTV’s all-weather exterior. The LCD screen displays a bright 1366 x 768 pixel image with 3000:1 contrast ratio. Built into the exterior, in front of the LCD screen is the all-weather interactive touch screen that is available in either Surface Acoustic Wave technology or Dispersive Signal technology. It sells for approximately $3995.

SunBriteTV also offers a complete line of all-weather outdoor TVs and assorted mounts.

IMAX Corporation’s Richard Gelfond, CEO, is presenting at the Gabelli 2nd Annual Digital Cinema & Movie Conference today, March 11, at 11:30 am ET at The Harvard Club in New York.

The presentation is being webcast live and can be accessed by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website, www.imax.com. The presentation will be archived for 30 days.

IMAX also announced yesterday, March 10, that CJ CGV Co. Ltd., the leading theatre exhibitor in Korea, has signed an agreement to install up to 15 new digital IMAX theatre systems, with the rollout scheduled to begin later this year, and to upgrade four existing film-based IMAX theatres to digital systems.

When we wrote on Nov. 26/09 about the the Communitech Hub: Digital Media and Mobile Accelerator, being set up as an offshoot of Communitech Technology Association, Waterloo, Ont., it was still in the planning stages, having just received a given $26 million by the Ontario government to help get the ‘club-house’ of innovation for digital media companies and entrepreneurs up and rolling by spring, 2010.

We’ve just learned that digital media companies are a step closer to having a place to collaborate and share resources with the official signing of the lease for The Communitech Hub at The Tannery in downtown Kitchener.

In other Communitech news, registrations are underway for Canada 3.0, May 10-11 in Stratford, Ont. Hosted by the Canadian Digital Media Network and its partners at the Waterloo Stratford Institute, Canada 3.0 is a chance to connect with other digital media players and entrepreneurs like Tony Chapman of Capital C Communications, Kevin Newman of Global National and Tom Jenkins of Open Text, and to discuss Canada’s digital future.

Also, the grand opening of the new Communitech office in Cambridge, Ont., takes place March 11 at Can-amera Corporate Centre, 231 Shearson Crescent, Suite 206, Cambridge.

The organization is really rolling these days, with various activities planned by and for members throughout the spring.

Communitech is the regional hub for the commercialization of innovation in Waterloo Region, creating economic prosperity by removing barriers to the creation and growth of technology companies. Our goal is to create more successful global businesses for Ontario and Canada.

NanoLumens who manufacture thin, flexible, lightweight digital video displays, announced its first Dealer Agreement this week with Video Visions to assist in marketing, sales and distribution.

NanoLumens of course recently introduced the world’s first 112” flexible video display, weighing less than 90 pounds and only 1” thin – see the picture taken at #dse2010 here

Video Visions, Inc., headquartered in Philadelphia, is a leading audio visual systems integrator and a pioneer in the professional A/V market – for 37 years it has provided custom display solutions for its clients.

NanoLumens CEO Richard Cope told us “We are thrilled to be announcing our first Dealer Agreement with Video Visions, Inc. just as we launch our first flexible display product,”

Mary Ellen Milanese-Distasio, President of Video Visions, Inc. told us “The partnership with NanoLumens allows us to offer a unique, flexible display product to our customers as we strive to provide tailored, turn-key solutions to suit their needs. NanoLumens’ flexible technology will allow our team to offer customized digital display solutions never before available.”

About Video Visions, Inc.

Founded by Arthur A. Milanese in 1973, Video Visions, Inc. designs, sells, installs and services presentation systems for professional audio visual applications. The company has offices in Philadelphia, New York and Orlando. Video Visions, Inc. is a solutions based systems integrator and is proud to add NanoLumens to the products the firm currently provides its clients, including offerings from Christie MicroTiles, Panasonic Professional Display Corporation, Orion, Planar, Sharp, Toshiba, LG & Sanyo.

You cannot (and should not) measure an exhibitor by the size of their booth space but we always like to try and visualise events and figure out who is spending big and who is not.

Samsung and BroadSign have yet again been the biggest supporters of Screenmedia Expo Europe coming up in London in May.

The biggest stands by size are we believe: -

1. Samsung
2. Broadsign
3. Intel
4. Scala
5. Minicom / Partners – Digital signage showcase
6. Harris

The Blogger Lounge which again we will be sponsoring is a very creditable 30 sqms – this year we will even have some lovely massage girls on hand Ania and her girls from ‘Heaven Sent Nation‘.

signagelive also have 25 sqms and there are rumours that they might well have an Apple style Genius bar. No doubt their audio partner Imagesound will be supplying some music too.

Rumour is that Francois Hechme who we reported leaving BroadSign a few weeks back has actually also gone and joined TruMedia – i.e alongside old colleague Jeff Liberman who also left BroadSign and also joined TruMedia.

It’s likely that Francois’s role will be Director, Product Management.

The new Nestle Aero digital adverts (that’s a chocolate bar and we mean a proper Chocolate bar to our non UK readers) on the CBS Outdoor digital 6-sheets on the London underground…

Include a nice vinyl wrap that take the ‘bubbles’ to the screen and beyond. Very nice.