Clever British Airways Billboard Tracks Airplanes as They Fly Overhead

British Airways launched a new campaign called "Look Up," and you might want to take that advice to get the full experience.

A video ad in London's Piccadilly Circus features a young boy pointing to the sky. If you follow the path of his finger, you'll notice that it's aimed at an actual plane above. The billboard updates in real time, displaying the flight's number and origin. (In the video, above, it's BA475 from Barcelona.)

According to The Drum, the billboard uses custom-built surveillance technology to pull off the feat. Abigail Comber, British Airways’ head of marketing, told the publication that it was a first for both the airline and UK advertising.

BA's experiment with interactive advertisement isn't a new idea. A recent ad in Spain for an anti-child abuse organization used lenticular printing to show different messages to kids and adults. Another advertisement in London last year let passers-by use their phones to drag away a man verbally abusing a woman in a video billboard.

British Airways billboardImage: Getty/Adrian Dennis

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