Projections on Famous Buildings
By: Projected Image
Tags: Marketing, Lighting, Gobo, Projection, Projection Mapping

Projecting images on well-known buildings is a relatively new trick for marketers, but it can help brands develop greater exposure to a wider audience. Equipped with a portable gobo projector and an Insta-worthy image to project, you can orchestrate a phenomenon on social media that will likely lead to mass coverage from major news publications — something you can’t afford to miss out on.

However, there’s a certain science to making your projected image a success. If you’re looking to go viral, it’s all about the message you’re trying to portray. You need relate to people and position yourself on the same level as them. Talk about topics they care about and don’t be afraid to be slightly controversial to drive fantastic results.

Below, we discuss some of the most iconic projections across major landmarks.

The Palace of Westminster

If you want to have your message heard by people in power, the Palace of Westminster is the perfect place to project. Positioned on the River Thames and next to Westminster Bridge, it’s undoubtedly the ideal spot that can reach a large audience. As the building is one of most iconic landmarks in Britain, and recognised on a global scale, it’s commonly used to celebrate Britishness and the achievements we’ve accomplished as a nation.

Remembrance Sunday is a significant day here in Britain and occurs on the 11thNovember each year to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in both World War I and World War II. The day is observed across Commonwealth Nations and involves a minute of silence and parades.

In recent years, you may have noticed that Big Ben is lit up on an evening with the projection of the signature poppy in a bid to unite the country and pay our respects. This attracted a lot of media attention, and was featured on a wide variety of publications from Metro to the Huffington Post — highlighting the influence a projected image can have.

(Image via Nicholas Mould Flickr)

The Empire State Building

The New York City skyline is the most iconic of them all and is home to the iconic Empire State Building. Completed in 1931, the skyscraper has witnessed many changes over the years — the most notable being the computer-driven, LED light system that illuminates the night sky.

Home to fashion publication, Harper’s Bazaar, and other premium fashion companies, there’s no denying that New York City is the fashion capital. In a campaign that celebrated Harper’s Bazaar’s 150thanniversary, the brand used some of the most iconic looks from its magazine fashion shoots and projected them on the building for everyone to see.

Although the event only lasted three and a half hours, the projections generated a lot of conversation across the city and around the world — it also dominated major news publications. As well as this, the night was streamed live on Harper’s Bazaar’s Facebook page.

But this wasn’t the first time that the Empire State Building had been used to project images and drive campaigns publicly. In 2015, as part of the Racing Extinction project, endangered animals were projected onto the south side of the building in a bid to raise awareness to a worthy cause.

(Image via ObscuraDigital)

Brandenburg Gate

Since 2005, Berlin has ignited with colour to celebrate its annual Festival of Light — now one of the most recognised creative art festivals in the world. Held at the beginning of October, the darker nights help light up the sky dramatically.

However, the purpose of this event is not to bring more awareness to a certain cause or promote a brand. Instead, this occasion is held to attract people to Berlin and encourage more locals to venture outside and enjoy the creative atmosphere.

(Image via Reuters)

Buckingham Palace

In the run-up to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games in 2012, The Prince’s Foundation for Children & Art encouraged 200,000 children to submit self-portraits that would be projected on Buckingham Palace.

Alongside two portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, the Face Britain project was to empower children and encourage them to explore their identity in the most creative way possible. The project used 24 projectors to cover the entire façade from 20:30 to 23:15 and lasted for three nights.

Evidently, projected images can be used for absolutely anything and can definitely catch the attention of people on the go.

(Image via http://behindoslohouse.com/)

The Staiths, Gateshead

The Staiths, a giant wooden structure on the Gateshead side of the River, has helped carve the North East’s industrial past by facilitating the exportation of coal to the rest of country and far beyond. At Projected Image we decided that the best thing to do would be to shine a light on it using our gobos and projectors. We have a short video and more infomation about it here.