A mysterious spherical structure had been under construction behind the Las Vegas Strip since 2019, but it was only when the towering globe was first illuminated on the Fourth of July—and then officially opened to the public in September—that its capabilities were truly understood.
Known simply as Sphere, the one-of-a-kind arena has captivated Sin City and social media since its completion earlier this year, thanks in large part to its dynamic shell that doubles as a 366-foot-high, 516-foot-wide digital surface for brands that are seeking an unparalleled out-of-home display.
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“With the launch of the Sphere, it’s the biggest screen on the planet, it’s the highest resolution screen on the planet. There’s a lot of ‘world’s firsts’ there,” said Davide Bianca, chief creative officer at BCN Visuals, a production firm specializing in 3D anamorphic billboards, which recently worked with Microsoft and San Francisco-based agency 215 McCann to handle an Xbox campaign on Sphere.
Dealing with the enormous, non-traditional canvas that is Sphere’s exterior poses any number of technical challenges for advertisers, but particularly so for Xbox’s “Power Your Dreams” takeover that debuted on Oct. 19. Bianca noted it was “intended to create an optical illusion” and “very technically challenging” to develop.
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Among the obstacles: how can a surface with no corners be efficiently seen by onlookers on the ground, hotel guests in the towers that flank the venue, and drivers passing by on Sands Avenue all at once? (The answer: having the spherical Xbox logo rotate on the building’s “North Pole” axis, while mirroring other elements so they can be at least partially seen regardless of angle.)