Piccadilly Lights, one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks and a globally-recognized advertising space, is to undergo a redevelopment that will give new brands a rare chance to secure a sought-after spot.

Land Securities, the UK’s largest property company and owner of the unique West End site, has worked with premium digital out-of-home media owner Ocean Outdoor to secure permission from Westminster City Council to undertake the major upgrade from January 2017. The existing screens will be replaced with Europe’s largest single digital screen, which will retain its renowned curved shape, surface area and its ability to have a patchwork appearance. Advertisers will be able to take advantage of the screen’s ability to rotate between six full-motion sections, which will be shared, while also having the chance to harness brief single-brand takeovers of the complete screen.

Picadilly Lights will be replaced with one of Europe's largest LED display by LandSecurities as seen in this rendered image displaying a Coca Cola ad. (Photo courtesy of LandSecurities)

The new Piccadilly Lights will be a live, responsive site, enabling brands to explore innovative ways of creating experiences that emotionally resonate with customers and drive loyalty, thanks to new features including:

• Greater than 4k resolution display – making it one of the highest resolution LED displays of this size in the world
• High-speed fiber Wi-Fi network – giving brands a portal to host long-form content linked to the screen, or as a data feed to trigger content on the screen
• Live video streaming – which is capable of streaming any event live across the globe, connecting London with the rest of the world
• Lifestyle updates – including weather, traffic, sports results, flights, finance information
• Real-time social media feeds – sharing Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds, including social listening
• Coca-Cola has already committed to continuing its 62-year residence and will be joined by Samsung, leaving a rare opportunity for four other global brands to appear on this world-famous location.

Vasiliki Arvaniti, Portfolio Manager at Land Securities said: “This is a unique milestone for Piccadilly Lights, which has provided a visual home for much-loved brands for over a century. London is one of the world leaders for digital and technological innovation, and Piccadilly Lights is leading the way, engaging with global brands, global citizens and of course the local community.”

Tim Bleakley, CEO of Ocean Outdoor said: “Piccadilly Lights is one of the world’s most sought-after advertising sites, and this transformation takes it to the next level. We understand the need to protect its heritage while keeping ahead of trends, and this next phase will ensure it is a testament to London’s global reputation for defining invention and innovation.”

Aedamar Howlett, Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland Marketing Director, said: "At a time when there are more advertising opportunities for brands than ever before, there are only a handful of advertising spaces in the world that are as iconic and unique as the Piccadilly Lights. This new technology will allow us to be more agile and tailor our messages in real-time, as well as be more creative when it comes to the content and engaging consumers directly."

Russell Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung UK & Ireland said: “Samsung has had the privilege of being associated with Piccadilly Lights, one of London’s most iconic landmarks, for over two decades. We look forward to the redevelopment of the site, as will the millions global consumers that pass by it every day.”

The six existing screens will be switched off in January 2017 to allow works to commence. Apart from occasional power cuts, Piccadilly Lights has in the past only been turned off during World War II, for Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965 and Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997. It is also briefly turned off every year for Earth Hour. The new Piccadilly Lights is due to be unveiled in autumn 2017. In the meantime, a static advertising banner featuring the signed brands will be in place.

Screen details

• 784 square meters

• 17.56m high x 44.62m wide

• Greater than 4K Resolution: 5,490 x 2,160

• 3 in 1 LED packages that generates trillions of colors and exceptional brightness