press release
DECEMBER 10, 2007
A&E’s Manhattan billboard ‘whispers’ at passersby with the Audio Spotlight®
WATERTOWN, Mass. - In the sea of billboards and advertising that is Manhattan, it is becoming increasingly difficult to send a message to the public. Businesses seeking to cut through the confusion and reach their customers need to stimulate more than just the eye to be effective. BlueBlastMedia’s JP Freeley is doing just that by reviving the traditional billboard and incorporating sound with the Audio Spotlight system. Mounted above the billboard, the system projects an isolated beam of sound down onto a targeted area of the sidewalk - from seven stories up! People who pass by the billboard are startled and entertained by the sudden message, and their attention is drawn directly to the billboard itself. Meanwhile, quiet is preserved for all of the neighbors.
The sound of a women’s voice whispers, “Who’s there? Who’s There? ...It’s not your imagination.” The chilling message draws your attention to a billboard for A&E’s television series “Paranormal State,” a show featuring real life mysteries of cases that include poltergeists, ghosts, and hauntings.
Using traditional loudspeakers to add sound to billboards is not an option because of obvious noise problems; nearby neighbors and business will not tolerate continuous noise from roof-mounted loudspeakers. With the Audio Spotlight technology, sound can be targeted to only a specific area, and provide audio just to this small region - all the way from a rooftop. Passerby entering the beam hear the sound immediately, and very clearly, which captures their attention. This is an extremely effective method of making your message stand out in a sea of advertising.
AUDIO SPOTLIGHT IN ACTION
The Audio Spotlight system creates focused beams of sound by using a narrow beam of ultrasound as a "virtual" sound source. While ultrasound itself is outside the range of human hearing, this innovative technique causes the air itself to change the ultrasound's "shape" as it travels. This change leads to the creation of clear sound that can be directed to a precise location, with directivity and control far exceeding any traditional loudspeaker.
