Piccadilly Circus has long been one of the world’s most iconic advertising sites.

To mark the 80^th anniversary of The Blitz when Piccadilly’s famous signs were turned back on after 10 year hiatus, Ancestry® opened a window on Piccadilly’s past, just like it does for its users.

Two 30 minute dominations took place on consecutive evenings in September 2020. The screen time was donated by Landsec and Coca-Cola, which has had a presence in Piccadilly Circus since 1955.

The spotlight opened in 1949 when the illuminated signs were switched back on at the end of World War II. The lights had previously gone out in 1939 to comply with wartime blackouts.

The content remains true to each featured decade, combining historical imagery with archive film footage of famous signs from multiple angles to accurately recreate vintage adverts from the 1940s, 1960s and 1980s.

As a result, each individual historical sign, from Bovril and Coca-Cola to the Guinness clocks and Schweppes fountain, required a different treatment in 3D render so that when people saw the ads brought to life on Piccadilly’s full motion screen they precisely mirror the originals. An end frame directs viewers to Ancestry® where they can bring their own backstory to life.

Created for Ancestry® by Anomaly, the concept was one of the winners of Ocean Outdoor’s annual Digital Creative Competition 2019.

Turning the clock by taking one of the nation’s favourite, most photographed landmarks from the present day full motion to the age of neon and all the way back to a time when there were no lights attracted news headlines. The moment was chosen as Best Photo of the Day by the Guardian and Evening Standard.

Ancestry - Piccadilly Lights

CREDITS

Ric Comline

Ocean Outdoor

Thierry Levy

Sean Cooper

Lawrence Scanlon

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