RFS uses giant billboard in New York's Times Square to thank firefighters
By Matt Bungard
Updated February 19, 2020 — 5.08pm SMHfirst published at 3.25pm
The NSW Rural Fire Service will have a thank you ad running for the next few weeks in the heart of New York on a massive screen outside the Marriott Marquis hotel.
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In among the bright and flashy billboard ads for fashion brands, the latest musicals and tech products, you might see something a little bit different if you're passing through Times Square over the next fortnight.
The NSW Rural Fire Service will have a "thank you" ad running on a massive screen outside the Marriott Marquis hotel in the heart of New York City for the next couple of weeks.
The RFS will have a 20-metre high advert on a billboard in New York's Times Square to thank the firefighters who worked hard over the past few months fighting fires in Australia.
After being approached by US company Silvercast media, which offered a donation of free advertising space, the RFS set about working with its Sydney ad agency, Wunderman Thompson, to make the most of the area, through which hundreds of thousands of pedestrians pass daily.
"Being that it's the biggest electronic billboard in North America, with 300,000 people walking by it each day, we felt we needed to utilise it as best we could," RFS spokesman Greg Allan said.
"It was an opportunity to thank the firefighters both here and from overseas, and also the community not just here in NSW but also around the world, who've shown their support."
The ad rotates between two screens, starting with a message saying, "Thank you to the brave Australian and US firefighters defending Australia. And to the world for all your support."
This gives way to a wall of flames, accompanied by the line: "Imagine fighting a bush fire higher than this billboard."
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'Thank you' from NSW RFS
The NSW Rural Fire Service is running a "thank you" ad on a 20 metre electronic billboard in Times Square, New York.
The top of the billboard is more than 20 metres high.
Wunderman Thompson's national chief creative officer Simon Langley said that after a chat with the RFS, both agreed on a bespoke approach.
"It was quite daunting to get an idea that was worthy of the site - but we thought just keeping it really simple and powerful, but also to say thank you, was the best way to go," he said.
Mr Langley said after the RFS told them of the "amazing" donation, the creative team quickly came together, pro bono, to form ideas on how to use the scale of this billboard, and the best way to say thank you.
"We just wanted to give people in Times Square an experience of how big these fires are and how brave these firefighters are," he said.
"We thought this was a good use of the sheer scale of this billboard."
Despite the worst of the fire season now over, there are still 24 fires burning around the state, with 18 yet to be contained.
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