A 3D billboard, also referred to as a three-dimensional billboard or a 3D anamorphic billboard, is a type of OOH advertising display designed to use LED technology to create the illusion of a three-dimensional appearance on a two-dimensional surface.
An illusion that relies on forced perspective.
The way that you create an Anamorphic Billboard is that you take the desired final image that you want and then project it back onto the screen.
So, wrapping around the contours like a piece of cling film that follows the curve. Then, if you flatten that out, it looks like this.
A bit strange and distorted, but looking at it from the desired sweet spot on the ground, everything comes together to create this illusion. To really sell it, you want to use the existing geometry and the right angles of the environment where you can.
Then the real wow factor comes when you’re actually crossing over the border and comes right out at you.
You see a lot of PR about this new 3D billboard technology. In reality, there is nothing very new about the forced perspective.
There are paintings available from as early as 1533 that used this same technique.
Today, 3D billboards are often used in urban, high-traffic areas, such as city centres, shopping districts, and major highways, to grab the attention of passersby. They’re a bit of a novelty in the current wave of outdoor advertising.
These ads use a combination of specialized software like Unreal Engine or Unity and sometimes interactive elements to bring objects to life, creating an immersive and captivating experience.
