Article

Fourth Screen Awards results

A judge of the awards weighs in on the impact of content.

February 2, 2008 by Lyle Bunn — Strategy Architect, BUNN

The 2008 Fourth Screen Awards were announced last week and both award winners and entries reflected significant innovations in digital signage content. The awards were conceived by Strategy Institute with winners announced at the annual Out-of-Home Digital Media Content Strategies conference held in Las Vegas.

 

A screenshot from PRN's Gilette razor spot for the Wal-Mart in-store network.

The Fourth Screen award winners and other entries are known as a "must-see" for those involved in digital signage. They reflect that content approaches, including composition and cadence, are harmonizing with this medium, integrating content for TV, Internet and mobile devices into what is put on screens. 

 

The "Best of the Best" award was a spot in which Gillette disposable razors are animated as bells to present a Christmas tune. Some important lessons offered by the spot to content creators, network advertisers and operators were that simple composition is compelling, a spot must earn consumer attention, and it must support both brand and merchandise simultaneously.

story continues below... advertisement
This story and all of our great free content is supported by:
		Remote Media Remote Media provides Digital Signage Software, Digital Signage Hardware and Digital Signage Networks to Companies wishing to communicate in a dynamic and innovative way with their audience.

"The common thread seen among the winners was the execution of a powerful creative concept" said June Peoples, VP, Business Development of DS-IQ and one of the program's co-chairs. "A case in point is the Best of the Best winner submitted by Premier Retail Networks. They took two seemingly simple things; the Gillette razor, and a familiar holiday tune, and came up with something engaging, charming, fresh and highly appropriate for the Wal-Mart in-store network."

 

The Fourth Screen Award Winners

Best of the Best:PRN Gillette Holiday Razors on the Wal-Mart NetworkPromotional Advertising:Gold: PRN Gillette Holiday Razors on the Wal-Mart Network Client: Wal-Mart In-Store TV Network   Silver: PRN Holiday Photo Card on the Wal-Mart Network Bronze: Daktronics My Coke Rewards for Coca-Cola / Arena NetworksBrand Advertising:Gold: JC Decaux Microsoft Digital Brand Experience Silver: Telstra TV Capabilities "Mercury" Bronze: Best Buy Holiday 2007 "WOW GUARANTEED" for Best BuyInteractive Advertising:Gold: Digital Aisle "Win Bears Tickets!" for Miller Brewing Silver: Reactrix, Inc. Crush - Skittles for TBWA Chiat/NY Bronze: Brand Experience Lab Volvo XC70 Audience Game

Many entries illustrated that a message can be effectively presented in short form in a spot of five seconds duration, and longer spots would reinforce a message that could be ingested by a viewer in just a short glance and then inspire them to watch the message or the display.

 

Digital signage is generally focused on serving core business objectives such as branding and selling. Each entry sought to improve patron or employee communications and improve the quality of experience on location through dynamic media. Other objectives included sales lift, improving awareness of a product or service, generating business leads, leveraging waiting times, increasing sales and reducing printing costs.

 

Photography and video clips of products were used to advantage in several PRN entries, and many entries used animations within a static visual to communicate stories in 10 second spots.  

 

Entries in each of the three categories presented excellent examples of configuring content for the environment. A dynamic display system at Liberty Travel is configured to swivel to face either street-ward or into the retail service location, and the content promotes with an inherent call to action, fueling consumer aspirations continuously with travel-related content.  

 

"This year's award winners represent a striking cross-section of producers, venues, brands and budgets," Peoples said. "Great content knocks the roof off of sales. Content that doesn't resonate with shoppers just lays there. We know that learning what works and what doesn't is critical to making out-of-home digital media relevant, engaging and effective."

 

The impact or perception of a display is a composite of how it integrates into a viewing environment and the impressions created by individual spots. While assessment of individual spots is important, its considerable value is in defining and improving standards of practice, which when broadly applied, can impact an overall perception of not just a particular network, but the medium at large. Winning battles wins wars.