advertising Archives - Athelo Group

By Josephine Belcher

Athelo Group

Ever since the $2.3B Las Vegas Sphere launched in September 2023, it has rapidly become a marketing and advertising sensation. Known as “The Exosphere,” this architectural phenomenon is the world’s largest spherical structure, reaching 366 feet and 516 feet wide. Illuminated by over a million LED lights, it cast a mesmerizing glow over the Las Vegas skyline, drawing the attention of consumers and visitors. Advertising on the Sphere is a hefty investment with costs ranging from $450K a day to $650K a week. Despite this, the Sphere has hosted innovative brand campaigns and high-profile engagements, heavily impacting social media. The diverse collection of brands that have utilized the Sphere has transformed it into a hub of creativity and a new benchmark in digital advertising.

YouTube was the first to capitalize on this unique opportunity, promoting their NFL Sunday Ticket package by transforming the Sphere into giant football helmets. This highlighted YouTube’s partnership with the NFL in a distinctive way. Following YouTube, the NBA leveraged the Sphere’s capabilities to turn it into a massive basketball, reinforcing its brand in an eye-catching combination of sculptural and graphic advertising.

Microsoft’s Xbox campaign, featuring huge “X” logos circling the structure, mirrored the futuristic spirit of gaming. Sony also promoted its game, using the Sphere to promote Spider-Man 2 for the PlayStation 5. Autodesk and Marvel Studios teamed up to showcase Autodesk’s significant contributions to filmmaking and visual effects. This collaboration resulted in a compelling advertisement highlighting the intersection of technology and creativity in the movie industry.

Major players in the beverage industry have also utilized the Sphere to capture audiences. In their campaign, Coca-Cola’s use of generative AI presented a futuristic vision, promoting their Y3000 Zero Sugar soda. Heineken, aligning with the Formula 1 Grand Prix, transformed the Sphere into a spinning disco ball that turned into ice blocks before collapsing to reveal their new Heineken Silver beer. This created a buzz and expanded brand visibility while fascinating a broad audience of event attendees.

According to Sussex Innovation, the Sphere has an estimated 4.7 million daily impressions and has skyrocketed its social media presence. The follower counts on the Sphere’s Instagram and TikTok saw a dramatic increase in just the first week after the opening, and they continue to rise as more innovative events and brand campaigns are introduced. These impressive statistics highlight the Sphere’s effectiveness in driving significant return on investment (ROI) for brands, achieved through its innovative content delivery and trendsetting capabilities in digital advertising.

The Las Vegas Sphere is at the forefront of a transformative shift in Out-Of-Home (OOH) marketing and advertising, challenging and redefining traditional approaches with cutting-edge technology and scale. Its digital canvas elevates advertisements to new heights of vibrancy and detail, surpassing standard displays. The Sphere’s unique spherical shape opens up endless creative possibilities, allowing brands to envelop the entire structure with their message for a 360-degree experience that blends art and cinematic elements. This innovation sets the stage for future OOH advertising trends. Its success inspires the integration of architectural innovation with digital marketing, potentially leading to the emergence of similar structures globally.

Looking ahead, the future of the Las Vegas Sphere is filled with exciting prospects. It’s even venturing into the world of live sports with plans to host a UFC event in 2024. This indicates a new era for the venue, where its unique blend of advanced technology and innovative design will provide immersive experiences across various events. Whether it’s high-energy sports matches, captivating concerts, or groundbreaking digital advertising, the Sphere is set to reinvigorate Las Vegas entertainment, promising every visitor a blend of sensation and innovation.

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By Josephine Belcher

Athelo Group

Move over ESPN and ABC– there’s a new media giant revolutionizing the sports broadcasting arena! In 2022, Amazon Prime Video began an 11-year media rights deal with the NFL speculated to be worth over $100B. They hit the ground running with interactive NFL content coverage that earned them a Sports Emmy Award. This season, they’re promising game-changing innovations that will transform the way we watch football. Expect various new features from Amazon in the 2023 season, including personalized and engaging advertisements, cutting-edge AI, a special Black Friday game, and much more!

Amazon saw incredible success in year one of the deal, and they’re keen to build on it. They’ve already made strides in expanding audiences, boasting the most-streamed NFL game ever during last September’s Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs match-up. Media Play News reported that during Amazon’s 2022 debut, Thursday Night Football had the youngest median age of any NFL broadcast package since 2013. Additionally, Amazon saw a significant increase in viewership among 18 to 34-year-olds compared to the previous season. As a result, many of the new features are designed to cater to a younger audience.

What’s in store for the 2023 season? Amazon is presenting advertisers with a unique opportunity to target specific audience groups using data analytics. By leveraging geographic, demographic, and behavioral insights, ads will be specifically displayed to the most relevant viewers. This initiative serves to increase ad engagement for brands and enhance the ad experience for viewers. In addition, players featured in the ads will enjoy the benefits of increased exposure for their personal brand.

Interactive advertisements are another factor of Amazon’s strive to reach its audience. Fans watching on Fire TV will have the chance to interact with the ads using their remote. These interactive advertisements give viewers the option to select either an “Add to Cart” or “Receive Email” button using their remote control. This action will trigger a push notification or an email, which contains direct links to the product and Store pages for brands that offer items on the Amazon Store. Through this approach, brands partnering with Amazon can expect more active and immersive engagement from consumers.

Beyond ads, Amazon is harnessing the power of AI to enhance and transform the game viewership experience. Amazon introduced on-screen graphics powered by artificial intelligence back in 2022. They’re taking it a step further this year with a highly advanced blue line feature. The line will show how close the offense must reach the first down marker before the computer recommends going for a fourth down conversion rather than punting. Amazon’s new cutting-edge technology, which has been trained on 35,000 different plays, makes this possible. Other capabilities include analyzing all players’ XY coordinate data, their relationship to each other, as well as their acceleration and directional movement to predict different measures.

In another move to expand audiences, Amazon plans to air a Black Friday game between Miami and the New York Jets that will be accessible to everyone for free. Amazon hopes to hook new viewers into the NFL action and give sponsors like Little Caesars and Audible the opportunity to advertise more effectively. The game will also cater to Black Friday deals from various sponsors hoping to net a wide reach.

Amazon’s innovative approach sets a benchmark for others to follow. Not only does it aim to enhance the viewer experience, but it also provides benefits to players and sponsors. Players can improve their brand image by utilizing interactive ads, partnering with broadcasts, expanding their social media presence, and more. Meanwhile, sponsors can achieve a higher ROI by devising more targeted advertising strategies, leveraging fan insights, and developing innovative ways to engage with audiences through their advertisements. As we approach the 2023 season, football fans can expect an unparalleled and engaging viewing experience.

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Tag: advertising

Amazon’s Play in the NFL: Reshaping the 2023 Season Experience

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