Technology and Science
WATCH 3D billboards takeover Joburg’s Ponte Tower and Cape Town Stadium
Priddy Ugly and Youngsta CPT were the brand’s ambassadors in the respective cities, part of the campaign to launch Pepsi’s new logo.
People in Joburg and those in Cape Town were startled to see their city landmarks being taken over by giant Computer-generated imagery (CGI) billboards by fizzy drink Pepsi.
Johannesburg’s iconic Ponte Tower was draped with what looks like a cloth with the drink’s branding, to have it look like a 300ml can of the beverage.
“Nice, I hope they’re putting some money into repairs for that building too,” wrote Jason Mangena, commenting on Pepsi’s post on Instagram.
In Cape Town, the city’s residents had their cell phones out to capture visuals of a can of Pepsi being poured into the Cape Town Stadium.
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CGI explained
CGI is the creation of still or animated visual content using imaging software.
3D billboards or Anarmophic billboards as they’re also known, offer a unique and visually captivating approach to out-of-Home (OOH) advertising.
CGI is used to produce images for many purposes, including visual art, anatomical modelling, architectural design, engineering, television (TV) shows, video game art and film special effects, as well as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications.
CGI has been used in movies like, Avatar, Star Wars: A New Hope, and Avengers: End Game.
The technology is used to fill in details in environments and create realistic scenarios.
South African rappers Priddy Ugly and Youngsta CPT were the brand’s ambassadors in the respective cities, as part of the campaign to launch the brand’s new logo.
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The official launch of the new logo was done in early April at Teatro, Montecasino, hosted by the 947 breakfast team led by Anele Mdoda.
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CGI in advertising
Earlier this year, fast food outlet KFC South Africa put up an anamorphic billboard in Braamfontein in Johannesburg. One of the first to introduce 3D anamorphic advertising was JCDecaux inside Sandton City mall.
In the capital of China, the Adidas Originals SAMBA collection made an explosive appearance in Beijing, displaying its entire range on a 3D digital billboard, featuring a pop-up installation of a larger-than-life SAMBA shoe.
In London last year H&M Move’s 3D digital billboard in Piccadilly Circus led by former footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović, contained splashes of colours and energetic movements.
A House of The Dragon billboard in New York saw realistic dragons striking fear and breathing fire in New York’s Times Square.
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