TORONTO BILLBOARDS USING RADIO TO SELL MOVIE
By Adnews Staff
Drivers along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway or Lakeshore Boulevard aren't only able to see billboards hyping the 20th Century Fox movie Independence Day, they're also able to hear them. That's because the digital "pixel" boards are equipped with a low-range radio transmitter, about the size of a lunchbox, which emits a message that drivers can tune to on their radio while within a three-block radius. Drivers who tune in to 88.5 FM will hear a movie promo. The technology is also being used in Vancouver to promote the summer blockbuster. It was conceived by Drive-By Broadcasting of Boca Raton, Fla., and brought north of the border by DDB Canada of Toronto. The system can handle between one and nine messages, which are looped and can last from 30 seconds to three minutes. Hype Marketing and Distribution, also of Toronto, helped sell the idea to 20th Century Fox, who along with Hype, plan to market the "Drive-By Broadcasting" media elsewhere in Canada.