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After 15 years as the Gateway to Liverpool, thousands of campaigns and two £1 million facelifts, the legendary Liverpool Media Wall, Ocean’s first ever large format full motion screens, deserves its moment in the spotlight.
So here are 15 milestones and special moments which define the Liverpool Media Wall, its originality, place and purpose.
- Top of the Pops. Measuring a mighty 36m long and 6.58m high, the unmissable Liverpool Media Wall (LMW) was first unveiled on July 22nd 2008 with big brands like Coca-Cola, now official partner of Liverpool FC, among the first advertisers.
- That was the year Liverpool was European Capital of Culture, the LMW adding to the international reputation of Liverpool as a modern, forward-thinking city.
- Ocean’s first large format full motion screen was originally designed as a façade along the Lime Street entrance to St John’s shopping centre. It’s a one-of-a-kind bespoke City Gateway which sits directly facing the entrance / exit to Liverpool Lime Street.
- From Usain Bolt and Stormzy to Kermit the Frog, a plethora of famous faces, stars and legends have lit up the Liverpool Media Wall which reaches more than one million people a fortnight.
- The Liverpool Media Wall not only walks the walk, it talks the talk. In 2009 Virgin Trains advertised their fast connections to London by “talking” to people passing by, delivering personalised messages in real time.
- In 2013, the LMW became a permanent fixture, receiving a £1million upgrade using smart technology to reduce its running costs and power consumption. Better screen resolution also improved the viewer experience.
- For the People. “The Liverpool Media Wall has become part of the fabric of Liverpool. It forms part of Liverpool’s annual Remembrance Day Services and is used to mark important events like the 30thanniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. In its role as a community noticeboard, the Media Wall will continue to support causes that are important to the city and people of Liverpool.” – Susan Finnigan, Commercial Director, Culture Liverpool.
- Lest We Forget. On November 8 2015 the Wall broadcast a specially produced film made by Welton Media, telling the story of Liverpool’s involvement in the Great War, featuring photographs of local people and their role in the war effort. This was the first time that long play content had been designed specifically for broadcast through DOOH.
- The LMW continues to push boundaries. In 2017 it was transformed into a vast virtual tank using CGI to raise the plight of Orcas being held in captivity. Created on behalf of The Born Free Foundation, the work went on to win a prestigious Cannes Lions.
- Liverpool in lockdown. During the pandemic, the LMW joined other landmarks saying thank you to local heroes and key workers on the frontline who had gone above and beyond to keep the city going.
- Bigger and better. In 2022 the LMW underwent its second £1 million upgrade introducing the latest technology, an added experiential area for immersive events and games and spectacular 3D and AR displays.
- The LMW also hosted the first ever World’s Most Supportive Poster, a unique collaboration with the Lighthouse Club, krow Group and Toolstation, giving people working in the construction industry instant access to confidential expert advice about their concerns and worries, helping to end the industry’s stigma about mental health issues and depression.
- Liverpool is an iconic city of music and when it was chosen to host the Eurovision Song Contest,the LMW became a natural gathering point for live music performances, busking talent and a mega Tik Tok
- And on July 21, British grime artist Stormzy and Rockstar Energy took over the landmark for an interactive digital concert featuring five seamlessly changing virtual worlds. Rockstar Energy’s Press Play domination marked the launch of its in app concert experience on Spotify.The LMW showcase combined sampling with a mobile AR token hunt, giving the public a chance to win merchandise.
- So what lies ahead for the next 15? Mark Williams, Executive Director, RivingtonHark, said: “An integral part of St Johns, the iconic Liverpool Media Wall is designedto welcome everyone to a creative, friendly and diverse city. Ocean have been great partners to work with and have enthusiastically partnered with us in supporting Liverpool through all major events that have impacted the city. Over the next 15 years, working together, we will continue to deliver long term value to all stakeholders, the wider community, Liverpool City Council and the people of Liverpool.”
