The popular moonwalk by Michael Jackson is conquering some of the most emblematic places in major European cities. Before the premiere of the film “Michael”, which will address the first stages in the pop star’s career, Universal Pictures has deployed an advertising campaign focusing on the outdoor environment to bring the singer’s best dance steps to viewers.
The action has turned building facades into movie screens
The international division of the distributor has prepared an innovative action that turns some iconic buildings into the scene of light shows. Together with DOOH.com in collaboration with EssenceMediaCom and WPP Media, the activations explore a new category of outdoor advertising that is based on LED technology to create a type of videomapping that transforms facades into movie screens.
Deployed in the Rinascente shopping centers in Milan and Uber Platz in Berlin, the creative, under the name “Glow Up”, offers a visual experience designed to reflect the magnitude and cultural legacy of Michael Jackson and promote the film by inviting passers-by to come to the theaters to enjoy the film. As DOOH.com has shared, the creativity brings to life key eras in Michael Jackson’s career, from his first performances with the Jackson 5 to his rise as a global icon.
Using hundreds of individually operable LEDs integrated into the architecture, the piece synchronizes scenes and moments from the film with choreographed lighting sequences to create a new outdoor narrative. In this way, instead of resorting to traditional digital screens, the campaign uses the physical structure of the buildings as a medium, creating an immersive spectacle at street level.
“With ‘Glow Up’ we wanted to go beyond the expectations of outdoor digital advertising and create something truly unforgettable” commented Andrew Newman, CEO of DOOH.com, according to Little Black Book. “It’s about turning entire buildings into living, dynamic canvases, where light, movement and narrative combine on a scale that captivates people and emotionally connects them to the moment.”.
As the company points out, the basis of the strategy has been to transfer the narrative universe of the film and the power of cinematic storytelling to the urban environment. They assure that the action is a reflection of how outdoor advertising is evolving from a medium to an experiential platform.
“Michael” on the streets of the United States
What’s more, the foreign media has become a key piece of “Michael’s” promotion strategy, also in the United States. Over the past few weeks, Universal Pictures has carried out a series of special executions articulated by the iconicity of the figure of Michael Jackson, the unifying power of music and the ability of outdoor advertising to connect with people.
In New York, it has installed a special billboard in the shape of a record player and a gold vinyl record, with the cover and typography of the film, to announce the advance sale of tickets and the premiere of the film on April 24.
The advertising campaign has also turned Los Angeles, a film mecca, into one of its main settings. In its streets it has displayed various advertising banners, including one with a statue of the singer performing one of his most popular steps.
Music is also the protagonist in the promotional strategy of “Michael”, and Universal Pictures wanted to take the artist’s work to the streets and bring it closer to his fans. He has done it in Los Angeles, among other things, with a special billboard that has integrated the music booth for a DJ and a D-Nice session at sunset.
Dallas has also been the scene of the promotion, which has been able to attend several DJ Spinderella sessions in a truck traveling through the streets of the city and bringing Michel Jackson’s music and dance to all audiences.
Dancing, one of the elements that made Michael Jackson popular, has also been a key narrative and emotional pillar in the film’s promotional strategy. As part of the campaign, various events have been organized in different cities in the United States, in which groups of dancers have performed choreographies with the most emblematic steps of the King of Pop.
