How could supersized LED technology in sports pitches change the perception of brand visualization and awareness during games?
The New Era of Technology in Sports Sponsorship and Advertising
The new area of sponsorship inventory in sports for clubs or sporting events is incorporating cutting-edge Technology into stadium advertising and responsible messages to attract fans and play the "game of branding awareness during the game"
Traditionally Football fans often resist halftime shows, contests, and sponsor activations during the game. In contrast, the timeouts in sports like hockey, American football, and basketball provide a different experience. To address this, innovative technology can be utilized to enhance partnerships and engage fans more effectively.
The reason for that?
For a moment now, I have always wondered if people who attend games or watch live sports on TV or devices pay attention to the logos or messages of brands in the LEDs while the games are on around the football pitch. You can't miss it when you watch it, even if you don't care about the advertising during the games, especially with supersized-led initiatives(two-tier digital display system) by some European soccer clubs.
This can also be in the rinks for watching hockey, courts for Basketball, or diamonds for Baseball, Tennis Tournaments, Formula 1 or American football games...
That made me curious about how seeing a product or brand logo repeatedly during a GAME made me more likely to look it up afterward, proving the effectiveness of the ads.
Fair enough to say that,
In recent years, however, some sports organizations(clubs) have tried to help their partners get more exposure by installing supersized pitchside display systems and offering dynamic, high-visibility platforms during live games.
But does this 3D double-led advertisement allow synchronized Content?...
The first Time I paid attention to it was during a Manchester City game in 2021, and while attending a Soccer game in Toronto, the idea came to mind for those who hadn't adapted it yet.
Wow, this is very appealing with the versatility of an advertising display that offers two tiers of screens that can synchronize to act as one supersized pitchside presence.
I was delighted and able to memorize visually the brand logo because of the dynamism and real-time engagement.
Also, If a goal is scored, the LED boards instantly switch to celebrate with a sponsor's logo integrated into the display, creating a more memorable brand association.
Therefore,
The Content has to be mirrored across the two tiers to deliver twice the exposure of a traditional LED system or sometimes different advertising display. Multiple aspects of the same campaign can be displayed across the two levels, with options for other messages or languages to build AWARNESS for stadium spectators and Online viewers in the 4 K broadcasting dimension.
But in the sports business world, technological innovation to improve comes at a cost.
Decision making: Let's move seats to install more LED boards for our partners.
What's the cost of making brand partners' investment efficient?
In 2021, Manchester City installed a two-tier 'Supersized LED' system at the Etihad Stadium, creating a more immersive advertising experience. This system allows for synchronized displays across both tiers, offering brands a larger and more dynamic platform to engage fans. To accommodate this upgrade, the club removed up to three rows of seats in specific stands, reducing the stadium's capacity by approximately 1,100.
But to make sense.....
The goal is to Optimize the online audience
Supersized Led lead for brand recall: But through Gameday Tweets engagement (QR code ,online constest )
When I watched the Bayern Munich Game when they first installed the supersized LED with double different advertising going on in the 1st and 2nd LED, everybody on Twitter was like :
"Wow" is how Bayern Munich uses AI to make visual projections. The advertisements are fancy and big, tho" by using the hashtag "T-Com" -Audi "BayernMun."
Every second matters, as the advertisement lasted longer than 30 seconds or 1 minute to attract the eye while the ball moved. It was in a big police format, where brands could integrate an entire message while the LED moved with different colours and visual effects.
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Yes, a new Marketing Asset is born, and it's because of Technology again, the next level for brands in their aspiration for sponsorship advertising and activation in sports, which I will call :
The Time for sports franchises and clubs to be the most commercially valuable pitchside media space.
"The impact of pitchside brand moments in sports "
To start on how the "supersized Led system," there will be some sports like Hockey and Basketball will struggle to adopt it for their Brand's partners' display because of the nature of their traditional rink and court configuration set up and seatings will not permit especially in hockey which has traditional rink boards ads (in wood) and basketball court with his traditional courtside seats that can hinder spectators from seeing clearly from all the different angles of the court.
However, new business development ideas for sports sponsorship have "good news" for sports like soccer, which pioneered that innovation.
Although the American football and baseball sponsorship sides can spread it, it will be done strategically.
Regardless, The American football game set-up is peculiar, with the management coach, staff boards, referee, media staff, and players occupying all the sidelines. The only way to install it is on the back of the touchdown zone area.
The same is true for Baseball, with the Ballpark facilities offering the best space advertising opportunities in sports history.
"You will always have the spot to park or place your message and advertisement in a 360 triangle view ." (laugh)
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How's that?
This excellent" marketing partnership communication" tool will transform how we approach our creative design and take our matchday content to a new level whilst achieving unrivalled commercial value for the brands to express themselves. Sports organizations don't allow them to do so, especially when fostering a digital message or visual through LED board ads in the way they want.
Shoutout to the Beautiful Game pioneer and StairMedia for that: Tech innovation imposes change and improvement
Supersized LED technology in football pitches has revolutionized how brands engage with fans and enhance brand visibility during games. This transformation has significantly impacted sports sponsorship activation, making it a powerful marketing tool to appeal to TV cameras broadcasting the games or events at the venue.
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How has it changed brand visualization, and what is its potential for the future?
Big screens and billboards in advertising always have an attraction to be a spot on for people, with attention to visualize and read the message, "You can't skip me."
Yet, brands can adapt to this behaviour by integrating digital elements into their advertising strategies, such as including QR codes in TV ads or encouraging social media interaction during games. This approach caters to the second-screen habits of modern viewers and enhances the effectiveness of advertising campaigns by providing immediate avenues for engagement.
1) Enhanced Fan Engagement and Dynamic Brand Interaction
I saw how brand advertising captured me while watching soccer games of the clubs (Manchester City, Inter Milan, As Roma and most of the Bundesliga clubs )that use Oversized LED Technology. This Technology allows brands to engage with fans more interactively and creatively BUT ON DOUBLE. Unlike traditional static ads, LED displays offer dynamic visuals, animations, and real-time updates that capture fans' attention.
As Bayern Munich does at Allianz Arena, they use these to show live stats, fan messages, and animations that change with the Game's flow. This creates an immersive experience, integrating the Brand seamlessly with the Game.
Anecdote: The languages of these Supersized Led ads
while watching Manchester City during UEFA Champions League matches, I remember sponsors like Heineken and Mastercard use the LED displays to launch interactive campaigns, such as live polls, fan shoutouts, or exclusive QR codes for discounts, amplifying fan engagement while reinforcing brand identity. Something THAT is not possible with static LED. That's help for revolutionizing the transmission of matchday commercial content.
2) Instant and Interactive Brand Activation: The must need
The supersized LED boards facilitate real-time brand activation, transforming how sponsorships are executed while I watch the clubs' matches, especially in La Liga (very dynamic and captive ads), which differs from other clubs' brand activations. Brands can interact with fans instantly, adapting to the Game's events, thus creating memorable and relevant brand experiences.
Example: Nissan and the UEFA Champions League: as an official sponsor, Nissan uses LED boards to highlight its electric vehicles by syncing their animations with match events. For example, when a goal is scored, the perimeter boards show animated electric cars zooming across, linking the excitement of scoring with their innovative product.
Future Activation Potential: This synchronization of in-game events and LED ads shows how sponsorships can become more dynamic. The ability to react in real Time allows sponsors to create viral moments, leading to better brand recall.
3) Digital Integration and AR/VR: Opportunities not to miss
LED Technology opens up the potential for digital integration with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences. Brands can now interact with fans in-stadium and broadcast screens, creating a unified digital experience. New Technology in control systems with intelligent features implemented as part of the partnership has also enabled Content to be adapted depending on the camera angle and weather conditions.
Example: Sticking to Manchester City's AR Integration again:
During their games, the LED boards have always been used with AR apps, allowing fans to scan the boards with their phones and see 3D models of new Puma kits or exclusive merchandise on their screens. This immersive approach bridges physical and digital engagement, giving fans a unique and memorable brand interaction.
My Future Vision: As Technology advances, more brands will likely use AR/VR to deepen fan engagement. Brands could offer virtual try-ons of products or immersive Content like player holograms interacting with fans through phone screens or VR headsets. An innovative integration is needed to make sponsorships a more personal experience to craft the integrated message, as AR apps will facilitate it.
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How can it help to give measurement impact on the real-time analytics?
The encouraging news is that the Supersized LED boards can dynamically change Content based on real-time audience data.
Nowadays, sensors and cameras around the stadium can track fan behaviour, such as cheering, movement, or attention to specific ads. This data can be analyzed instantly to adjust the advertising strategy during the Game.
Time for advertising dollars? My way of measuring impact
*Thousand K of viewers of the home league and European games on the official YouTube channel of highlights game x number of home game/season=Total viewers of potential brand recall for the season
Example: In real-time, Manchester City and other clubs that have it, as I am watching their Game, will be able to provide data on Views from the stadium, highlight game viewers on their YouTube channel and Premier League one, and provide information on people who may be able to see advertisements on matchday attendance, called Brand consistent exposure.
I can attest that when I watch Man City highlight Games, I always think of brands such as Nexen Tire, Puma, and Ethihad.
The same is true for the football clubs that apply, such as Inter, Bayern Munich, Bundesliga clubs, and PSG. I remember the logos of Socios, Qatar Airways, Visit Rwanda, Monster Energy, Indeed and Audi visually.
What's the effect? According to me
The view that drew me to the Supersized has me regularly Googling the brand name & categorie they are in , while watching the game to keep tabs on their corporate activities. I think that our generation frequently multitasks, watching sports and surfing the web at the same time. This habit enables brands to boost engagement and brand recall with digital advertising strategies.
Takeaway:
I had the right to call from this publishing analysis on connecting and interacting with Fans through LED board advertising while the Game was live.
It helps fans care about and pay attention to the brands that partner with their favourite clubs or sports.
To offer dynamic, engaging, and personalized sponsorship opportunities.
In the future, we will likely see even more integration with data analytics, enabling brands to measure engagement levels in real Time and adjust campaigns during matches.
The trends of supersized Led innovation will embody and force the sports sponsorship world, especially in football, American football and Baseball, to move for the next to design activations through digital 3D and AR apps by the will of artificial intelligence to track better sponsorship outcomes.
Edited by Paul Stanislas Dioh 👨🏿💻✍🏿
Thank you for your reading time and attention; all appreciation towards you.