"It's not marketing. It's just art."

Few digital art displays rival the beauty and complexity of the one found in the lobby of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. Winner of the 2011 Cannes Lions Design Grand Prix, the Cosmopolitan Hotel lobby is home to the perfect blend of digital art and environment. The lobby is comprised of 8 square video columns, housing 96 displays a piece, these columns are used to display a variety of photos, animations, and video 24 hours a day. From autumn leaves falling to ballroom dancers seamlessly moving from column to column, every series of visuals is made with the guest experience in mind.
While the columns do effortlessly entertain guests, supplying them with digital content is a full time job. To aid in the creation of content, The Cosmopolitan teamed up with Digital Kitchen to help cook up some magic. All of the content is created exclusively for use inside the Cosmopolitan Hotel and is free from any advertisements or endorsements.
With all of those pixels, it’s hard to believe they couldn’t spare a few for some logos or banner ads. 🙂
But in the words of, John Unwin, the CEO of the Cosmopolitan, “It’s not marketing, it’s just art,” and in this case, I agree. His statement sums up everything I like about this installation. Sometimes ads can be a little overwhelming, especially when you’re not expecting them. By not directly advertising on the columns, the hotel is probably engaging their customer for a longer period of time. Creating an experience that will far surpass any message that the addition of an ad based system might bring.
While ads may never have a place in the lobby, the opportunity for evolving the landscape still exists. Which made me think, what could be done to further enhance the experience of the lobby? Maybe the addition of interactive touch surfaces, cameras or motion sensors could engage guests on an entirely new level? Who knows, the possibilities are endless! But then again, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Thoughts?