Consumers stopping off with friends for a quick one after work
or meeting to party on the weekend may encounter advertising images in a new spot as they
queue up to the bar or wait in line for the restroom.
Mirrors that change into ads and back into mirrors are hanging in upscale
watering holes, triggered by motion detectors to respond as customers approach.
To find out how to get your client’s message out in front of
consumers’ eyes when they’re relaxing in an upscale bar or lounge, read on.
This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They
appear weekly. Fast Facts
What
Ads displayed in bars and lounges that change
into mirrors when customers approach.
Who
Max Custom Media, headquartered in New York City.
How it works
Mirrors displayed in bars, lounges and clubs transform into full-color
advertisements.
Max Custom Media calls the program MaxMirrors.
A motion sensor detects customers approaching the mirror and changes the
image from ad to their reflection.
“One thing that’s unique about this medium is the interactivity
level,” says marketing director Shelby Washington. “The motion of the consumer
is what sparks the change from ad back to mirror. People love walking by it. It’s
high buzz and it’s fun.”
Mirrors are 19 inches by 23 inches within a 22-inch by 26-inch frame.
“The ad is actually a film that slips behind the mirror and is changed
over from advertiser to advertiser,” Washington says.
The advertiser provides the creative.
Images are typically the advertisers’ standard ad creative, Washington
says.
“Some may adjust taglines to fit the venue, though most will use general
marketing art rather than customizing it for these venues.”
Creative can be changed during the course of a campaign.
Max Custom Media handles production, installation and maintenance. Units can
be wall mounted or free standing.
Displays are placed in entryways, next to bars, at the end of hallways and
outside of restrooms. “They’re backlit, and the way it works is that it’s
more visually impactful in dimmer environments and not in areas like restrooms, which are
well lit,” Washington says.
Length of display varies as customers enter motion sensor areas and are in
the five to 30 second range. Most venues have one mirror with a few larger locations
displaying multiple mirrors.
Product exclusivity is built in. The medium is best suited to national
brands, Washington says.
MaxMirrors can be used as a stand-alone or part of a media mix.
When Baby Phat launched a sneaker campaign, it used a Marcus Klinko
photograph of a model wearing only the sneakers and jewelry on Max Mirrors as well as in
magazines and on a Times Square billboard.
When an advertiser is using mirror ads in a venue, that is typically the only
media they’re using in that location, Washington says.
“Bar owners like it because it’s sleeker, classier than other
backlit options,” Washington says. “There’s also a great shock value.
People do a double take when they see it. It looks like a mirror, then an ad, then a
mirror.”
Markets
The program is available in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. San Francisco
and Chicago are currently test markets.
Numbers
There will be 75 mirrors in New York,
150 in Miami and 50 in Los Angeles by Aug. 1, Washington says.
How measured?
Traffic is estimated at 25,000 per month, per venue based on average number
of customers, Washington says. “That can fluctuate because some nightclubs are huge
and others may be open only four days a week.”
What product categories do well?
Liquor, beer, entertainment, fashion and lifestyle items like electronics and
contraceptives are a natural fit, Washington says.
Point-of-purchase items like liquor are exceptionally
strong categories.
Demographics
The broad demographic is a 21-plus urban audience.
Groups can also be targeted by market and by venue.
“We can explore launching and posting
mirrors in new locations as well,” Washington says.
Making the buy
Lead time is three to four weeks for campaigns in
current markets and six to eight weeks in new markets.
Factors that affect cost include number of mirrors, number of markets and duration
of campaign. Pricing is done on a CPM rate per mirror. “Pricing is very
flexible,” Washington says. “It’s done on a case-by-case basis.”
A minimum buy is 25 mirrors for one month, though most advertisers are opting
for 50 mirrors for three months, Washington says. The advertiser pays production costs for
multiple films when ad copy is rotated during a campaign.
Who’s already on mirrors?
Baby Phat recently ran mirrors in 50 New York City locations. Bacardi and
Grey Goose Vodka are also recent advertisers.
What they’re saying
“We were the first to use MaxMirrors in New York. We are aiming to reach the chic, sleek
partygoer who is buying the image as well as a piece of clothing. And we were trying to
make it fun for the consumer as well. In our advertising we incorporate every aspect of
lifestyle. Every aspect of what we offer has entertainment value as well. At the same time
we were able to reach people who might not see our ads in magazines but do go to these
sophisticated upscale clubs in the city. Basically it gets the momentum going and people
talking about it, and that’s why we did it.” -- James Campbell, advertising
director for New York-based Baby Phat
Web site info
Max Custom Media at www.maxcustommedia.com
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