MediaWorks launches Aotearoa's first 3DOOH billboard

Passengers passing through Wellington Airport this morning may have got quite the shock as what appears to be a colossal troll causes chaos on the departure boards as part of New Zealand’s first foray into 3DOOH.

The country’s first full-motion 3D billboard features Jeff, the troll from Wētā Workshop’s Auckland tourism experience, Wētā Workshop Unleashed. The playful troll can be seen rearranging departure screens to introduce the world of Wētā Workshop Unleashed.

The promotion will show on MediaWorks’ prime billboard locations at Wellington Airport from today and Newmarket train station in Auckland from early next week.

MediaWorks Outdoor Director Brad Morgan says Wētā Workshop was a natural partner to showcase this new capability in New Zealand.

“Wētā has been at the forefront of the creative industries in Aotearoa for 30 years, so we knew they’d bring the wow factor.

“Full motion 3DOOH has been shown to achieve a higher brain response than static content. It’s not only more eye-catching, it’s also more memorable and highly shareable.

“Right from our initial testing, we’ve seen people whipping out their phones, filming the billboard to share with their friends or on social media. It is definitely creating a buzz.”

Wētā Workshop Co-Founder Sir Richard Taylor says the new 3D billboard platform was a perfect place to showcase not only the Wētā Workshop Unleashed experience, but also the talent, creative problem solving and breadth of expertise across Wētā Workshop.

“When we were offered this opportunity by MediaWorks and MBM, their agency partners, we jumped at it and immediately started brainstorming on how we could bring it to life.

“Our crew’s experience and capabilities allowed us to make Jeff the star behind this billboard campaign.

“It’s always fun when people across the various divisions of our company come together to collaborate on a project as exciting as this. Using the highest level of animatronic puppet control tech and the lowest of simple muppet hand techniques, the combination has produced a fun and engaging piece of media using a physical puppet performing in a model-made set. It was so much fun working on this!”

Annabelle Wilkinson from MBM said 3DOOH offers an exciting opportunity for advertisers in New Zealand.

“We’ve been watching this technology evolve overseas in recent years and we are proud to work with MediaWorks and Wētā Workshop to launch this first of its kind format in Aotearoa.

“Wētā Workshop has set the bar high with this incredible promotion. We think it’s going to spur some serious creativity from brands wanting to engage with their audiences in this new format.”