Some Brazilian celebrities have been appearing on one of the screens in Times Square. Bruna Marquezine, Anitta, Luan Santana, Pabllo Vittar, and Ludmilla have all made an appearance there. The surprise is that their appearances have nothing to do with the fame they have achieved. On the contrary, any mere mortal can appear there.
The TSX Entertainment has launched the TSXApp, a pioneering mobile entertainment platform integrated with an important feature – PixelStar, which allows users to easily upload content for display on a giant 18,000 square foot screen that spans the facade of the TSX Broadway building in Times Square. Now, anyone with a smartphone, anywhere in the world, can “dominate” Times Square at any time of the day.
“This is a totally new way for anyone to enjoy their 15 seconds of fame. The experience is mind-blowing, and you have to see it to believe it,” said TSX co-CEO Nick Holmstén. “The launch of our app introduces a new digital screen for individuals, innovators, and artists.”
User-generated content posted via PixelStar reaches up to 400,000 daily visitors on the site and will be expanded globally through the TSX app. According to the Times Square Alliance, Times Square receives 8 billion impressions on social media annually.
Therefore, to get your 15 minutes of fame, all you need to do is download the TSX app, schedule your video, and pay $40. For comparison, traditional advertising on one of the big screens in Times Square starts at $500 for 20 plays of a 15-second ad or, recently, $150 for a photo displayed for 15 seconds per hour, for 24 hours.
A combination of artificial intelligence and people reviews all submitted content, and if it meets the content rules, your video will momentarily occupy Times Square. The content rules include what you would expect from any media seen by 400,000 people a day: no nudity, violence, or offensive content. They also include what you might not expect: no traditional advertising. “We don’t want companies to buy 15 seconds on this screen,” says Nick Holmstén. “Our opinion is that this is the largest social feed in the world.”