London's Piccadilly Lights Turns to Stone as Brands Take Ads Back to 211 AD

In an industry first, Paramount Pictures is turning London’s world famous Piccadilly Lights to stone in a colossal collaboration to mark the highly anticipated release of Ridley Scott’s blockbuster, Gladiator II in UK cinemas from November 15.

Throughout the day on Friday (8th November), Piccadilly Lights will 'frieze' into an epic stone patchwork featuring Gladiator II, Samsung, Trainline, TK Maxx and LEGO. The five have united to reimagine their adverts through the lens of Roman AD 211, using 'hand carved' stone bas relief, a prevalent art form of the time.

The work is an unprecedented collaboration led by Wavemaker and Paramount Pictures with DOOH.com, Ocean Outdoor, Mindshare, Publicis One, OLA and Cheil.

To create their monumental Romanised centrepiece:

• Paramount Pictures transforms the screen into stone bas relief with Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal immortalised in the arena, the movie’s November 15th release date contextualised in Roman numerals.
• Samsung features their latest Neo QLED television, the picture so sharp that it puts a Gladiator on the edge of his seat when the giant rhino from the film leaps towards him.
• Trainline presents a playful take on ‘your carriage awaits’ with a train swapped for a horse and chariot.
• TK Maxx, or Maxximus, celebrate their epic brands at heroic prices.
• LEGO UK shows that Rome can be built in a day, inviting adults to play with their LEGO Icons sets.

John Fletcher, Paramount Pictures UK managing director, said, “This year’s most spectacular movie deserves a campaign equal in stature. Piccadilly Lights is truly iconic and we’re delighted to have been able to collaborate with so many brands and agencies on this ambitious project. We’re thrilled with the outcome and it is a testament to the hard work of so many parties to make this happen.”

Stephen Cooke, managing partner, Wavemaker UK, said, “Wavemaker is so proud to have led such an epic campaign that carves Gladiator II’s cultural moment in stone. With special thanks to Dooh.com and the tenacity of so many, this playful idea inspired and united multiple agencies, brands and teams from London to LA.”

Becky Power, creative director, DOOH.com, added, “Iconic movies like Gladiator II don’t come along very often and we’re delighted that our work can be a part of its story. It’s been such a great experience working alongside the brands who embraced the idea of taking their ads back to 211, with the talented artists who have beautifully ‘sculpted’ Piccadilly Lights from stone, and with Paramount and Wavemaker who have been generous collaborators from beginning to end.”

Ben Dalton, client partner at Publicis One, said, “Finding new occasions to grow awareness amongst consumers is a key part of what we do at Publicis. What better way for these brands to connect with new audiences than to partner with an iconic film franchise such as Gladiator, surprising and delighting the public with a takeover of the UK’s most iconic OOH site, the Piccadilly Lights.”

Ocean Outdoor UK chief revenue officer Nick Shaw said, “Piccadilly Lights was made for collaborative theatrical experiences like this. You have to applaud Paramount, Wavemaker and all the brand partners for pulling off one of the year's best ads." 

Paramount Pictures’ Gladiator II, starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, with Connie Nielsen reprising her role from the original film, and Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington, builds on the legacy of Ridley Scott’s original multi Academy Award® winning Gladiator which was released 25 years ago.