Cell C bridges the divide at airports

"The air bridges are a visitor's first point of visual contact with an airport. Cell C's objective was to achieve maximum exposure in line with its brand identity of snappy and witty out-of-the-box thinking," says Caryn Cohen, Wideopen Platform CEO.

Outdoor advertising implementation specialist Media Foundry's work entailed two key sections at the airports comprising the air bridges and corridors. The air bridges (arms extending from the terminal building and to the aeroplane, carrying people either to or from the plane) were covered in Self Adhesive Vinyl (SAV). Digital Mesh Media (DMM) was used to wrap the corridors leading to the entrance of the air bridges. Before the Media Foundry team could even begin working on the project, a survey crew had conducted a three-week survey to fully scope out the technical parameters of the project.

Media Foundry worked closely with the Airports Company of South Africa's (ACSA) project management team to ensure that the advertising in no way impeded the structures' function. The services of SA Waterproofing were utilised to ensure that the sites could endure harsh weather conditions over a long period. Only after all the technical consulting could the project team deliver a brief detailing the dimensions of the surfaces to advertising agency Network #BBDO's creative team. The entire project spanned almost three months.

"Technically, the Cell C air bridge project was a massive undertaking, one requiring significant effort from the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA), Wideopen Platform, Media Foundry and other parties. Media Foundry are not only experienced but highly adept at executing major sites," says Cohen. "For instance, they rolled-out the advertising over the Michelangelo Towers construction site in the Sandton CBD, which measured 3 500m². But this project was something entirely different. Considering the challenges posed by a huge, totally new site, they really did an impressive job."