AUCKLAND TRANSPORT | QMS MEDIA

Client: QMS Media (on behalf of Auckland Transport)

Location: Bus, ferry, and rail terminals across Auckland, New Zealand

Designed and manufactured: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Scope: Custom small-format indoor and outdoor digital advertising enclosures

Scale: 25+ indoor units, 15+ outdoor units deployed across the network

Launch: March 2017 — 1.7 million passenger journeys in the first 28 days

The context

In 2015, Auckland Transport began one of the largest infrastructure expansions in New Zealand's history, extending their rail, ferry, and bus network significantly across the city. As part of that expansion, QMS Media was contracted to deliver advertising signage across the entire network.

For QMS, this wasn't a standard out-of-home advertising brief. They needed enclosures that could handle the specific challenges of a public transport network: underground train stations, outdoor bus shelters, ferry terminals, all with very different environmental conditions and unique challenges.

They also needed something that didn't exist off the shelf. The enclosures had to be fully customised to Auckland Transport's brand, sized for the spaces available, robust enough for continuous public exposure, and — critically — certifiable for use in environments including underground stations, where fire safety is a significant consideration.

Concept Evolution was engaged to design and supply these enclosures from their Sydney facility.

What the enclosures needed to do

There were several non-negotiable requirements.

The Indoor units needed to carry a 70" LCD panel in a footprint of only 125mm deep. At over 2.2 metres high with that depth, the structural engineering of the frame was not straightforward. The chassis had to be rigid enough to stand safely in crowded terminal environments without any visible bracing or footprint that would block pedestrian flow.

They needed to work both indoors and outdoors. Indoor units, including those in underground train stations, had to meet fire safety standards for enclosed spaces. Outdoor units had to handle Auckland's weather which means wind-driven rain, UV exposure, and temperature variation while keeping the electronics inside at acceptable operating temperature.

The brief also required the units to be adaptable for different advertising campaigns, including interactive campaigns, so the design allowed for an optional touch foil and motion sensor/webcam for augmented reality applications.

And the toughened glass infill panels on the sides and rear had back-printed Ocean Blue to align with Auckland Transport's brand identity which needed to be prominent and consistent across every unit.

Custom aluminium extrusions

The structural backbone of the enclosure is a set of custom aluminium extrusions designed specifically for this project. Standard aluminium profile wouldn't produce a frame this rigid at this height and depth. Hence the custom extrusion profile was the only way to achieve the rigidity specification without increasing the footprint.

These extrusions also served as the mounting system for the side and rear glass infill panels, which meant the visual design and the structural design were resolved with the same component.

Glass infill panels

The side and rear panels are toughened glass, back-printed Ocean Blue. The back-printing creates a solid, consistent colour that doesn't fade, peel, or scratch in the way surface-applied films can. 

Combined with the custom extrusion frame, the glass panels gave the unit a distinctive identity that was consistent across every installation on the network.

Safety for underground environments

Working with QMS, Auckland Transport personnel, and consulting engineers, Concept Evolution specified components and materials certified for use in the transit environments, including underground stations.

This required fire safety testing by specialists. The enclosures were evaluated and found not just to meet, but exceed the relevant safety standards for the environments they were installed in. This level of scrutiny is standard for public infrastructure projects, but it requires the right design, materials, and documentation to create a certified product.

Feature specifications

Each enclosure carries:

• 70" LCD panel

• Fully welded aluminium chassis and door frame

• Toughened glass fascia

• Key lockable access door

• Customisable infill panels on sides and rear (toughened glass, Ocean Blue back-print)

• Illuminated logo

• Optional motion sensor/webcam for augmented reality campaigns

• Optional touch foil for interactive advertising

Launch and impact

In March 2017, QMS launched the Auckland Transport Commuter Network with over 40 digital screens across the busiest bus, ferry, and rail terminals in the city. In the first 28 days, the network registered 1.7 million passenger journeys past those screens.

The enclosures designed by Concept Evolution were the first in Auckland Transport's network to allow full animation advertising in both indoor and outdoor locations simultaneously. That was a meaningful step for both the network and for advertisers using it.

To date, more than 25 indoor units and 15 outdoor units have been installed across the network.