Landsec and Ocean Outdoor build on the cultural resonance of Piccadilly Lights

Piccadilly Lights, one of London’s most recognisable cultural landmarks, is building on its heritage and legacy as a global entertainment destination, introducing a reconfiguration of the famous 783.5 m curved screen.     

The new design will give brands extended periods for full screen domination[1], scaling the opportunities for global launches, theatrical style trailers and mixed reality, 3D DeepScreen special effects and more live interactivity with The Venue which sits underneath. 

Outside of the large-scale productions, Landsec will maintain the distinctive patchwork formation on the iconic digital display whilst introducing the flexibility to move between five or six brands. Long term residents of Piccadilly Lights include Coca-Cola (since 1954), and Samsung (since 1994). 

Changes to the screen’s format come into effect from January 2027, 10 years after Piccadilly Lights relaunched following a nine-month period of renovation which saw the installation of one curved LED screen. 

More recently, in 2023, Landsec delivered The Venue, giving brands a physical stage in Piccadilly Circus. Events and experiences in The Venue can be live streamed to Piccadilly Lights, increasing the amplification opportunities through Digital Out of Home (DOOH) and more widely via PR, earned and social media. 

Brands that have successfully leveraged both the locations together include L’Oreal, Fatal Fury – and HBO Max, which used both the screen and venue simultaneously to build awareness and engagement for its star-studded UK launch. A two-day immersive pop up delivered more than 9.5 million impressions, with 900 social posts and media coverage reaching 33 countries. 

Derek Manns, head of commercialisation at Landsec, said: “Piccadilly Lights is where the world meets London – and where culture and brands meet. What happens here is not simply seen; it is noticed, valued and shared around the world. 

“Together, the screen and The Venue create something no other place can: a connected digital and physical stage where brands can stop the world in its tracks. Our continued investment will give brands even greater freedom to create moments that travel far beyond Piccadilly Circus, turning attention into cultural impact and global reach.” 

Ocean Outdoor UK CEO Nick Shaw said: “Piccadilly Lights combines heritage with cultural currency, spectacle and prestige, delivering what we call the brand halo effect. Piccadilly has been at the forefront of advertising for 118 years. This latest evolution reinforces Piccadilly’s place as the cultural heart of modern London.”  

Piccadilly Lights recently collaborated with the BBC to celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday. The larger-than-life tribute reached all four corners of the world, generating 1.35 billion views, a demonstration of the unrivalled impact created when the right content appears on the screen. 

Study reinforces the emerging opportunities of Piccadilly 

A new independent study[2] delivers further insights regards the unique amplification powers of Piccadilly Lights and The Venue for brands and advertisers. Commissioned by Ocean and Landsec, the study establishes that: 

• More than one in three of a campaign’s organic digital impressions can be driven by Piccadilly Lights alone 

• Piccadilly Lights can deliver 139 million organic social impressions in a single month 

• Up to 107 countries can be reached through a single DOOH campaign 

• There’s a longevity dividend. Coca-Cola saw a 2x brand halo vs the average standard campaign