Ocean Outdoor relaunches Manchester’s Chester Road Roundabout as digital site
Three new roadside screens replace four backlit 96-sheets at the junction, which carries more than 100,000 motorists a day.
Ocean Outdoor and Manchester City Council have relaunched Chester Road Roundabout, one of the city’s best-known outdoor advertising sites, as a digital location reaching more than 100,000 drivers a day.
The site sits where four major routes into the city meet. It now has three new roadside digital screens aimed at commuters, visitors and matchday traffic travelling to and from Old Trafford.
The relaunched site goes live today with campaigns for insurer Hiscox and mobile network EE, planned through Posterscope with WPP Open Connect (EE) and Media Plus (Hiscox).
The roundabout has been part of Manchester’s outdoor advertising scene for almost 25 years. In 2007 The Guardian listed it among Britain’s most requested outdoor sites, alongside Piccadilly Lights and BFI IMAX.
New screens
Four traditional backlit 96-sheet billboards have been replaced by a portrait tower, a horizontal screen and a digital 48-sheet. The scheme was designed with Manchester architects SimpsonHaugh and uses ambient controls to limit light spill and the effect on nearby residents.
As well as paid campaigns, the screens will show public messages adapted to time of day, weather and traffic.
Ocean intends to add its Vehicle React Technology later, allowing creative to change in real time according to data about passing vehicles, such as their make, model or fuel type.
Nick Shaw, chief executive of Ocean Outdoor UK, said: “With more than 62 square metres of prime advertising space at a famous intersection accommodating a huge volume of traffic, Manchester City Council’s investment secures Chester Road’s position as an ‘Ask for it by name’ outdoor original.”
The upgrade falls under Ocean’s long-term contract with Manchester City Council for large-format OOH, which was renewed last year. The contract also covers 16 other sites, among them Two Towers Manchester, the Digi-Bridge on Mancunian Way and Princess Road.
Separately, Ocean runs major DOOH sites across the city including Manchester Arndale, Spinningfields, St John’s and Printworks Manchester, where Printworks SkyLights is Europe’s largest digital ceiling.
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