Canon used smart billboards – digital screens and trucks equipped with giant LED monitors — that tapped into real-time API data to provide customized photo tips to photographers at New York City’s most photographed locations. The billboards were positioned where photographers would easily see them as they snapped photos of the city’s landmarks, and featured messaging that spoke directly about capturing the scene.

As conditions changed – whether that be the weather, lighting, traffic, etc. – the tips were instantly updated to be more relevant and useful to photographers. Each billboard explained how to capture the best photo possible, and displayed an inspirational image on-screen based on the tip being served.

At certain locations, we even deployed “street teams” to offer assistance to photographers in need of additional coaching, and to give them access to try out Canon cameras and products.

The locations featured in the campaign are very popular destinations for photographers and tourists in New York City. They were determined using social listening and photo metadata.