This new marketing venture makes a certain caliber of fame surprisingly affordable.
The ability to loom over Times Square is now within reach, thanks to the launch of a website selling 15-second increments of backlit stardom for less than $200.
Beginning Thursday Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. EST, anyone in search of fleeting neon glory can book a photo of their choosing to be projected on the 55-foot-wide, 31-foot-tall billboard above the Pelé Soccer store at 1560 Broadway between 46th and 47th streets.
“No company has ever dared to enter the people’s personal realms when it comes to Times Square’s billboards,” boasts a press release on the project.
Slots can be booked at TimesSquareBillboard.com, where icon aspirants can pick a date, upload their photo and pay $150. The picture will then appear on the sign for 15 seconds once an hour for 25 hours on the date they selected. (Customers will receive an email with their hourly slot time after purchase.)
Ideal consumers include anyone who wants to wish their mother a happy birthday very loudly, lovers who want to propose in a grand fashion, good friends who want to congratulate pals on a new job, clown friends who want to shock their buddies “with that one photo from your trip,” and everyone who simply wants “to be famous for one day,” the release adds.
The concept comes from the mind of Miami-based lawyer and Welcome To Times Square CEO Jaime Suarez, a lifelong fan of New York City who was inspired to develop an accessible advertising opportunity after witnessing “the failure of numerous small local businesses due to the pandemic.”
“If you thought big brands with gigantic advertising budgets were the only ones that could afford the theater district’s spotlight, think again!” the press materials say.