Case in brief
- Eyemagnet and Westpac have recently completed the groundbreaking refit of Westpac's flagship store at 79 Queen Street.
- The street facade comprises more than 100 digital panels (of varying types) and is driven by our software to create a seamless single digital canvas.
- The upgrade from the old 1080p technology to 4k enables Westpac to make the visual statement they want for their brand and unleashes a new scope of what is possible to display.
Background
Westpac has been a customer of Eyemagnet for over 11 years.
It all began with the creation of the original flagship concept at 79 Queen Street – the first time in New Zealand an entire street facade was made of digital screens. Our partnership has since extended, with our software handling digital signage across their entire Branch network.
As with any technology, 11 years had taken its toll in several ways. First, the resolution of each screen was not up to the level considered the best possible today. Secondly, the effort to maintain the hardware has increased as it ages. Thirdly, the system architecture that drove the screens was based on our legacy software platform and had some limitations regarding how it handled the media across each screen.
When you looked at the Branch, you had the impression that it was a single, cohesive storefront. That was the point. But the reality 11 years ago was that several backend work-a-rounds were needed to maintain that experience.
Here's a picture of how we had to configure the content at the Branch entrance. It shows that we had to think about which content would go on what screen and encode it accordingly. So what looks like a single video was cut down into multiple mini videos.
It was a breakthrough at the time. But has since become increasingly burdensome for everyone. Plus – our new software has created an entirely new paradigm!
Our Content Management Software natively deals with this complexity by templating a single canvas for the whole facade, and automatically encoding content accordingly. Plus, it handles the larger file sizes that come with the shift up in resolution to 4k.
Westpac chose to make the shift.
The Solution
A single digital canvas, utilising state-of-the-art digital screens. A dramatic upgrade from a 10mm to a 3mm pixel pitch – which increased the fidelity of the content able to be displayed.
It's the equivalent of shifting from 1080P to 4K resolution.
More than 100 panels were used to create the single canvas – including video wall panels, pillar displays, and ATM displays. All are driven natively by our CMS software, out of the cloud, meaning no media players are required.
Eyemagnet were involved from the very beginning of the project. From initial design concepts and coordinating with the architects, engineers and project managers to the completion of Westpac’s new and improved digital branch entrance.
Points of Note
Such a significant project requires real attention to detail. Not only regarding the design concepts and working with the architects but throughout the entire project into the actual fit-out – to now working with the Westpac Marketing staff to uplift the discussion about what is possible.
This has been very complex and has involved many different parties. Doing this project well – and getting the outcome we did – is due to this attention to detail.
There’s also the sheer spectacle of it. This site is huge and makes a real visual statement. It continues to push the boundaries of what is possible – and makes a fitting impression that supports the Westpac brand.
Our Syncplay extension enables the complete takeover of the 100 different panels, transforming them into a single giant canvas. The variety and quantity of different screens is pretty unique – with 5 different screen types used. So the ability of our software to natively deal with that complexity and render content accordingly is very cool.
We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with the Westpac team and enable new innovations in the future.