A digital display that’s pure poetry
People speak into a mike and their words appear as a poem
September 24, 2015
Interactivity is the big thing in digital displays and billboards these days, but the key to a really good ad is to find a unique way to do it.
Here’s a good one: Using the words of people passing by the billboard to create odd but endearing poems.
That was the mission of a recent billboard equipped with special microphones that allowed people to talk directly to the board and then watch as their words popped up on LED screens, forming a 16-word poem.
What was being promoted
Google’s new offices in King’s Cross in London.
Who was behind the stunt
Google, with an assist from MA Narrative Environments students at the University of the Arts in London, who came up with the idea.
Why this stunt
The Google offices are under construction and won’t be revealed for months. To keep the area around the worksite visually interesting, the digital display was installed instead of just a plain, boring temporary wall.
Timing
The billboard went up over the summer and will remain until at least March of next year.
How it works 
Several red microphones have been attached to the board, which also has 16 small LED screens.
When a passerby says a word into the microphone, it pops randomly onto one of the LED screens.
Read all together, the words make fun, and sometimes nonsensical, poetry that makes for interesting reading for people walking past.
Why it works
Because it’s random fun, which fits with Google’s hip, quirky image. It’s out of the ordinary and it makes people laugh. The interactivity works well for a tech company.
How it’s been received
Enthusiastically by both passersby, who have created hundreds of poems, and local media. It’s been written up in several UK and Irish publications.
Tags: billboards, digital billboards, google, google poetry, interactive billboards, poetry google
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