25.05.01
IMAX Corporation Forms Strategic Partnership with DHJ Media |
(Toronto, April 9, 2001) - IMAX Corporation (Nasdaq: IMAX; TSE: IMX) today announced a strategic partnership which will expand IMAX's market-leading digital projection technology into the realm of digital electronic billboards and result in the largest single order in the history of IMAX's Digital Projection International Limited (DPI) subsidiary. Specifically, IMAX signed an agreement with Sweden's DHJ Media AB to develop and install digital media network systems that will replace traditional poster advertising with high revenue digital billboards. The companies announced today that the London Underground is the first location to enter into a definitive agreement for the installation of such a digital billboard system.
To be marketed under DHJ's trademarked "Outdoor Evolution Systems," the IMAX-DHJ networked digital billboard system will allow billboard owners the ability to dramatically increase revenues per billboard and will allow advertisers to target their audience on an hourly basis. Digital billboards are designed to maximize the impact of advertising dollars by allowing ads to be directed to any given location at any designated time of the day, thus allowing for better timeliness of messages, flexibility, and the ability to purchase the entire billboard network. IMAX's expertise in image projection, reliability and commitment to excellence should ensure only the highest-quality presentation of the advertiser's image and message.
Under the terms of IMAX's agreement with DHJ, IMAX will sell the digital projectors that will display the images, and DHJ will provide the network functions as well as the billing, scheduling and distribution of ads. IMAX and DHJ agreed to market the Outdoor Evolution System to five potential locations in Europe. As a result, the London Underground has placed an order with IMAX for 400 digital projectors with a value of close to $15 million, the largest order ever for IMAX's DPI subsidiary. The first 100 systems are expected to be installed by the end of 2001, with the balance expected to be delivered over the following 12 to 24 months. TDI Outdoor, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc., will handle the advertising sales for the London Underground system. IMAX and DHJ also announced that they have entered into a marketing co-venture to target the sale of Outdoor Evolution Systems to five potential customers in North America including transit systems, shopping malls and movie theatre chains.
IMAX co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler said, "This new technology has the potential to revolutionize the world of billboard advertising in terms of message presentation, target marketing, audience impact, enhanced revenue generation and return on advertising investment. Whereas a billboard advertisement now is confined to a still picture that is changed sporadically, a digital billboard can display moving images such as movie trailers, and show multiple advertisements every hour. Such a billboard can advertise coffee in the morning, retail shopping in the afternoon, and show a preview of that night's television line-up during the evening rush
hour. The result suggests a win-win for everyone; with advertisers able to buy just the demographics they want and billboard companies able to sell the same space multiple times in a day."
Messrs. Gelfond and Wechsler continued, "We believe that our partnership with DHJ and the Outdoor Evolution digital billboard system create a significant opportunity for DPI and we are excited to enter this market with DHJ. The first order under this agreement for the London Underground is the largest single order in our DPI subsidiary's history and represents the first of hopefully many such contracts."
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