CBS Outdoor To Replace Static Posters in the Tube: the World’s Biggest Outdoor Contract?

October 4th, 2007 Nurlan Urazbaev

This may change the way the subway systems look around the world, once the technology is sorted out. CBS Outdoor is starting a trial of a technnology that will replace traditional posters opposite the platforms in the London Underground with projected moving advertising messages. The new ‘cross trax’ projection (XTP) system will be installed at Euston station on the Victoria line from this week (Friday October 5) for a five-week observation period, according to this story on mad.co.uk.

“Once the test period has proven successful, 150 units will be rolled out across the selected tube stations from the start of 2008.

The XTP system will only project images and not sound at this stage, but is expected to reduce 4.1 tonnes of waste.”, says the article.

Sounds like a good week for the outdoor industry. Digital billboards were ruled ‘permissible’ in the US on Monday, and now – the digital posters in the underground.

The CBS Outdoor web site calls it:

• World’s biggest outdoor contract
• Investment to change the face of London’s Tube network
• New innovation to establish digital outdoor as a mainstream media

The web site says further: “The London Underground contract, the largest of its kind in the world will run for 8.5 years and includes management and maintenance of all advertising locations across London’s Tube network – consisting of 33,000 poster sites at 275 London Underground stations, as well as 88,000 panels inside Tube trains. The Victoria Coach Station contract includes advertising rights at what is the busiest station in the UK.”

According to AVInteractive, the technology for the contract is supplied by Digital Projection International (DPI).

Entry Filed under: Digital Signage Evolution, Toys and Technologies, Uncategorized