One of the biggest events in Australia’s sporting calendar is the Australian Open. Providing the first grand slam tournament of the four majors of the international tennis circuit, this event helps to launch the professional tennis season.
The 2017 Australian Open has been facilitated by the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Trust since 1997 which reports to the Minister of Tourism. The ULA Group was approached by leading event communications and installation company, The P.A. People to create a unique LED display customised specifically for the Australian Open and to launch their new-look brand.
The P.A. People, having worked with Tennis Australia on many events over the years, were commissioned by them to provide a physical representation of the AO (brand) device to be used in association with the rebranding of the Australian Open. Tennis Australia was keen to effectively demonstrate the new brand, created by branding agency Landor, who had presented a concept of a 3-metre-high three-dimensional logo.
It was decided to display the new-look brand by recreating event-related imagery via the physical structure of the 3-metre-high LED display in the shape of the letters AO, to be situated outside of the arena to greet spectators. The LED display would need to be custom designed, weatherproof and offer convenient content management software to allow specifically created graphics and animation to be projected seamlessly.
The AO LED Display had to be built as two separate entities for each letter and stand approximately 3 metres tall to provide an adequate surface space for the animation.
The display had to include an automated brightness sensor to enable the display to adjust to accommodate varying degrees of sunlight. This was a unique project with the design of this LED display having to be created from scratch with no prior engineering template or even similar display to work from. The timeframe was restricted as the display had to be ready prior to the opening of the Australian Open event to allow time for the animation software to be incorporated.
“Our experience in designing bespoke mechanical solutions as part of AV systems integration, coupled with our work around the world
on large scale events, led us to believe we could create a viable and cost-effective solution”
Chris Dodds, Managing Director – The P.A. People and lead designer of the AO logo project.
The P.A. People chose the ULA Group to provide the customised LED display solution for this innovative and customised installation. Communication had to be constantly open during the development process to ensure the overall project concept was achieved efficiently and professionally.
Our team appreciate the importance of company rebranding. It is imperative that the public and media are presented with a first impression that engages and makes an impact – which is exactly what this 3 metres LED display did. We supplied the customised LED modules using technology based on our VuePix Q series, that fronted and encompassed the shape of the two LED displays.
The P.A. People chose the ULA Group to provide the customised LED display solution for this innovative and customised installation. Communication had to be constantly open during the development process to ensure the overall project concept was achieved efficiently and professionally.
Our team appreciate the importance of company rebranding. It is imperative that the public and media are presented with a first impression that engages and makes an impact – which is exactly what this 3 metres LED display did. We supplied the customised LED modules using technology based on our VuePix Q series, that fronted and encompassed the shape of the two LED displays.
Video supplied by Landor | Music: Inspired, by Kevin MacLeod, Incompetech. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
With our extensive experience in the entertainment and events industry in providing customised LED displays which had to withstand constant transportation, we provided the final product as part of The P.A. People design solution, in an easily transportable format, with the letters able to be split in half to fit into a 20-foot container for easy shipment.
Chris Dodds adds; “The components of the installation were chosen to achieve both design quality and structural integrity. The Vuepix product gave us an overall result which delivered in spades”.
“Tennis Australia arranged some exceptional content, through both Sydney-based animation agency ‘Looper’ and Tennis Australia’s own media team, which brought the logo to life. Without the fantastic content, the screen would have been an elegant sculpture. With the imagery, it became the focus of the entry to the Australian Open Festival in Birrarung Marr and gained a significant level of social media coverage in its own right”, said Chris Dodds from The P.A. People.
It’s safe to say that this AO (brand) structure delivered the ultimate WOW factor for the venue, the client, the brand and the event. The AO LED stand-up display was engaging and complimentary in both its’ visual animation and physical structure allowing spectators and fans to pose in front of the display and share the brand virally through social media. The LED display ended up being a spectacular feature of the 2017 Australian Open and set the 105th event apart as an event that is moving forward with innovation and providing its fans with more opportunities to embrace the event, the sport, the venue and ultimately the brand of the Australian Open.
