London's New Year launch   (Sitegeist)

London welcomed in 2009 with The Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve spectacular. While the year was new, the agency behind the production was old hand Jack Morton Worldwide. The  experiential marketing agency produced the event which was seen by large crowds across central London and millions more on BBC One. RK Droid (2 Jan'09)

At the River Thames and the London Eye crowds congregated to witness the 10-minute firework  and projection confection, the latter from Europe’s largest video projection system. Sponsored by LG Electronics, the display use some of the brightest lighting units on the market.

The soundtrack was mixed by BBC Radio One although its full impact was enjoyed  by those privileged enough to be in the viewing area. Jack Morton worked closely with internationally renowned pyrotechnician Christophe Berthonneau and lighting designer Durham Marenghi to create the display.

This is the fifth such New Year’s spectacle that Jack Morton has produced for the Mayor of London in conjunction with Visit London and it has reaped awards from associations including the National Outdoor Events Association (2008) and the Eventia UK Awards (2007).

E/T/C London was behind the video debut which saw giant images adorn the 353 ft high Shell Building (below) on the South Bank of the River Thames. The projection expert has worked with Jack Morton for the past five years on the event but this was the first time that E/T/C had exploited the power of video.



E/T/C’s Ross Ashton said: "It was another milestone in giant video projection for E/T/C London, and probably the UK's largest New Year video installation to date as well as a great opportunity for us to move the company forward."

His colleague Richard Porter designed the technical installation, which utilised 24 Christie S+20K projectors, all rigged vertically, and run in 12 overlaid pairs. These covered a 12 zone grid. The result was a far superior resolution than HD.

Huge image files were involved and their handling alone required E/T/C London's detailed expertise. BBH created the LG branding and a series of celebrity "talking heads" with New Year greetings, featuring the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, Dame Helen Mirren and others.

Ross Ashton collaborated closely with Jack Morton’s Kate MacKay on the creation of the artwork. The get-in commenced on the 27th December, with E/T/C engineers Robin Darraux, Patrice Lefevre and Glenn Jenkins. Jack Morton's project manager was Jim Donald.

Revellers joined in the countdown, signified by a burning fuse that snaked around the building as midnight loomed. The countdown clock was visualized by Ashton and produced in After Effects by Porter.


Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: "Yet again, London has dazzled the world with a fantastic display of fizzing pyrotechnics, which kicked off 2009 with a noisy and colourful big bang. London's amazing fireworks display has been seen around the world, showing the city still knows how to put on a party and is one of the most exciting places on earth to be."

Naturally the scale of the event called for the input of multiple agencies which ranged from Greater London Authority and Transport for London to the London Ambulance Service.

Julian Pullan, managing director, Jack Morton Worldwide said: “We are delighted to have helped create this spectacular experience for the people of London. It’s an honour to have the opportunity to entertain both London and the watching world for the fifth consecutive year.”

RK  _________________________________________