Hunter and Stella McCartney sign deal to advertise at the new Piccadilly Lights

Landsec, the UK’s largest listed commercial property company and owner of Piccadilly Lights, today announces that British brands Hunter and Stella McCartney have signed a deal to advertise in one of the six positions on the world-famous Piccadilly Lights. The brands will form part of the innovative new Piccadilly Lights screen which is switched back on this month. 

Hunter, the progressive British heritage brand, has signed to advertise on the lights in partnership with Stella McCartney, the luxury lifestyle brand. The aspirational British brands will share one of the six advertising spots at Piccadilly Lights on rotation, individually showcasing the two brands in a unique new setting. 

The signing of Hunter and Stella McCartney creates a unique setting to showcase these fashion brands in the heart of London’s shopping and entertainment district. Hunter was first introduced to the power of digital out of home in 2015 under the creative direction of Alasdhair Willis, live streaming content from its London Fashion Week Catwalk show across multiple Ocean Outdoor screens in 2015.  This is the first time eponymous fashion label Stella McCartney has taken a presence in a mainstream out of home environment. The brands join a line-up of iconic advertisers, appearing alongside Coca-Cola, Hyundai, Samsung and L’Oréal Paris for the relaunch of the lights later this month.

Piccadilly Lights have been switched off since January for major renovation work that will see the original patchwork of screens replaced with a single state-of-the-art 4K LED digital screen and live technology hub. It will be the largest screen of its kind in Europe and will have the ability to divide into six full and subtle motion segments. Advertisers will be able to stream live videos, lifestyle updates, such as weather and sports results, and real time social media feeds.

The countdown to switch on is being marked by the #PiccadillyOn campaign which invites people around the world to be part of this remarkable moment in London’s history in aid of Barnardo’s, the UK’s largest children’s charity and Landsec’s national charity partner for 2017. For a minimum donation of £2.00, people can bring colour to life by sponsoring a unique colour chip which will form part of a 3D countdown clock on the screen, before forming part of a choreographed reveal moment. 

At the moment of relaunch, the screen will be powered up with a spectacular display of the sponsored colours, each of which will be shown on screen and live streamed on Facebook for fans across the globe to watch.

Anyone can own a unique piece of London’s digital history by visiting www.PiccadillyOn.London, where they can choose their colour to support Barnardo’s and be part of this historic moment. Supporters will receive their unique digital colour chip to post on their social media channels. 

Vasiliki Arvaniti, Portfolio Director at Landsec said:

“Both Stella McCartney and Hunter are as iconic as Piccadilly Lights itself; we are very excited to see how the brands use this unique platform to connect with their audiences. This collaboration is an excellent reflection of the pioneering display capabilities of the screen and testament to how flexible the platform can be. It’s a privilege to also be able to fundraise for Barnardo’s through the #PiccadillyOn campaign as we deliver such a historic moment for London.”

Tim Bleakley, Chief Executive Officer at Ocean Outdoor said:

“Two iconic, creative British brands have collaborated to unlock an incredible opportunity right at the heart of British and world fashion. What’s guaranteed is that both Hunter and Stella McCartney will use every opportunity to leverage the unique capabilities of digital out of home to innovate and push forward the broadcast capabilities of this live, responsive, spectacular screen.”

Hunter and Stella McCartney are signed to advertise at the lights until the end of January 2018.

To get involved and be a part of the iconic switch-on moment, people can choose their colour and donate at www.PiccadillyOn.London and share their support on social media using #PiccadillyOn. 

Ends

Notes to Editors

For media enquiries please contact the team at Teneo Blue Rubicon on piccadillylights@teneobluerubicon.com and 020 7260 2700  

History of Piccadilly Lights 

• An estimated 100million people pass through Piccadilly Circus each year
• The first illuminated advertising hoarding at Piccadilly Circus was a Perrier sign, installed in 1908 
• Piccadilly Circus used to be entirely surrounded by illuminated advertising signs which were originally powered by light bulbs, later replaced by neon lights. 
• Digital projectors were first introduced in 1998 
• LED displays completely replaced neon by 2011
• Coca-Cola has had a sign at Piccadilly Circus since 1954
• Landsec has owned Piccadilly Lights since the 1970s 

New screen details

• 17.56m high x 44.62m wide (circ 790m2)
• Greater than 4K Resolution: 5490 x 2160
• 3 in 1 LED packages that generates trillions of colours and exceptional brightness
• 8mm pitch screen 

About PiccadillyOn

PiccadillyOn is a charity campaign launched to raise funds for Barnardo’s and mark the switching on of the world-famous Piccadilly Lights after over nine months of renovation works. The campaign is run by Landsec, the UK’s largest listed commercial property company, which has owned the site in London’s West End since the 1970s. For more information and to be part of the campaign, visit PiccadillyOn.London or follow PiccadillyOn on Facebook or Instagram. 

About Landsec

At Landsec, we believe great places are for people to experience and are made with the experience of great people. As the UK’s largest listed commercial property company, with 23.2 million sq ft of real estate and a portfolio valued at £14.4 billion, we own and manage some of the most successful and recognisable assets in the country.

In London, our portfolio totals more than £8.3 billion, and consists of 6.5 million sq ft of real estate. From the world-famous Piccadilly Lights to the transformation of Victoria, SW1, we deliver exceptional experiences for the businesses and people that live and work in, and visit, the capital.

In Retail, across our 16.7 million sq ft of assets, we create outstanding experiences for customers and guests alike. Combined with the strength and resilience of our portfolio, this means we regularly outperform industry benchmarks for footfall and sales. We offer more than convenience and choice, recognising that memorable destinations are key to attracting the shoppers and retailers of today, and tomorrow.

We also aim to lead our industry in critical long-term issues – from diversity and community employment, to carbon and climate resilience. Everything we do is grounded in experience and begins with people. We deliver value for our shareholders, great experiences for our customers and positive change for our communities. At Landsec, everything is experience.

About Hunter

Founded in 1856, Hunter is a progressive British heritage brand renowned for its iconic Original boot. The brand has a rich history of innovation and pioneering design. The brand has built on this heritage of 160 years, creating footwear and outerwear to protect from the weather and perform across all terrains. Hunter holds two Royal Warrants of Appointment to HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Alasdhair Willis was appointed Creative Director in 2013 and two new brand categories, Hunter Original and Hunter Field, were introduced. The launch of Hunter Original has seen four pioneering catwalk shows at London Fashion Week, showcasing new footwear, outerwear, knitwear and accessories, alongside the Original boot. Hunter Field delivers technical products, born from the development of pioneering techniques in manufacturing and materials.

About Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney is a luxury lifestyle brand that was launched under the designer’s name in 50/50 partnership with Kering in 2001. Stella’s approach to design emphasizes sharp tailoring, natural confidence and sexy femininity. A lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs. The brand is committed to ethical values, and believes the company is responsible for the resources it uses and the impact it has on the environment. It is therefore constantly exploring innovative ways to become more sustainable, from design to store practices and product manufacturing. Stella McCartney offers women’s ready-to-wear, menswear, accessories, lingerie, swimwear, kids, fragrance and adidas by Stella McCartney collections through 51 free-standing stores including London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Milan and Shanghai. Her collections are distributed in 77 countries through 863 doors including specialty shops, and department stores, as well as shipping to 100 countries online.

About Barnardo’s

The charity has helped transform the lives of millions of disadvantaged children in the UK, and continues to help families to build a better future. In 2016/17 more than 272,000 children, young people, parents and carers were supported by Barnardo’s through more than 1,000 services across the UK, such as young carers, care leavers, foster carers and adoptive parents, training and skills or parenting classes, as well as young victims of child sexual exploitation and those needing support with emotional health and wellbeing problems.  
Registered charity No. 216250 and SC037605