Abcon Media president and CEO Les Abro has traded in vinyl for chlorophyll.
The company has vacated the large-format advertising space with the sale of seven Toronto locations to Cieslok Media, though Abro says it’s not a retreat from the out-of-home industry.
Abcon continues to operate a night projection business and has announced a new division called LivingLogo, which creates company logos using a combination of evergreen plants, stone chips and wood.
The company has partnered with the Woodbine Entertainment Group to secure space for 24 of the large-format topiary displays at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto’s north end.
Abro told Marketing that his company has secured eight advertisers from a variety of categories for LivingLogo, but did not disclose their identity. The company is also seeking additional landlords to host the living signs. “We’ve got a few irons in the fire,” said Abro.
He said it was an “opportune time” for the company to retreat from the large-format out-of-home business. “Timing is everything,” he said.
Asked if the Toronto sign bylaw — which was introduced in 2009 and specifically targeted the vinyl murals that comprised a portion of Abcon’s business — was a factor in the decision, Abro was emphatic: “No, no, no… not at all,” he said.
Abro said he has no intention of stepping away from the business. “I’ll be here until I stop breathing,” he said.
The Abcon inventory acquired by Cieslok Media is situated in key downtown Toronto locations, with president and CEO Jorg Cieslok saying that the locations represent a “rare” out-of-home commodity: large format ad faces in prime locations.
The acquisition cements the company’s objective of offering the largest, high-impact displays across the city’s major hubs, said Cieslok. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, although Abro said that two companies were in discussion throughout 2015.
The transaction follows on the heels of Cieslok’s partnership with SITO Mobile that enables advertisers to serve up ads within a geo-fenced location. It also recently announced four new screens in Mississauga, and upgraded digital displays at the city’s Yonge-Dundas Square and Chinatown district.
