Toronto’s Adapt Media has added a national digital out-of-home network to its portfolio of static street-level advertising products.
The company announced Monday that it secured representation deals for approximately 30 digital screens across Canada that were previously owned and operated by the now-defunct Outdoor Broadcast Network (OBN).
Adapt enlisted former OBN president and CEO Peter Irwin to help broker the deals.
The newly christened Adapt Digital Billboard Network includes screens in what the company describes as “highly sought after” locations, including Yonge St. just south of Bloor St. in Toronto, Canada Place in Vancouver, Rexall Place in Edmonton and Calgary’s McMahon Stadium.
Adapt has also inked a deal with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to sell inventory on the sports conglomerate’s Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. The inventory includes a full-motion video screen as well as a tri-board and a static ad face.
“We thought it would be a great addition to our existing out-of-home media products to offer a national full-motion video network,” said Rory Amelio, who joined Adapt as vice-president earlier this year and will oversee sales for the new digital network.
“It propels us into the digital out-of-home world right away; now we have a strategy on how to grow our business in that area.”
Amelio said the sales agreements will make it easier for advertisers and media agencies to buy a national digital network. “Agencies do not like to get 20 phone calls selling 20 different boards,” said Amelio. “I don’t think buyers would even be looking at these type of boards unless they were part of a national network.”
Luxury auto brand Lexus has already come on board as a client, said Amelio. “We thought we’d cut our first deal in two to three months, and the first deal came in within a week of offering these products,” he said.
