TRON ARES UK LAUNCH
Piccadilly Circus was transformed as Disney Studios UK launched TRON: Ares with a large-scale digital takeover. We partnered with Disney to help deliver several key elements of the experience, from a custom anamorphic Lightcycle sequence on the Piccadilly Lights to projection mapping inside The Venue that turned an entire room into an infinite version of the Grid. We also worked with Coca-Cola, Samsung, Ducati and IMAX to adapt their campaigns so that each brand seamlessly became part of the world of the film.
The rooftop reveal, the screen moment and the immersive space worked together to create a launch that extended well beyond a single stunt. The takeover was covered widely across press and social, with clips of the rooftop activation and the Lightcycle animation quickly spreading online.
We’ve collaborated with Disney on major anamorphic screen campaigns before, including Star Wars, but this project went a step further by combining spectacle with immersion. It’s an approach that builds momentum ahead of release - creating something people talk about, share, and remember.
The campaign started with a simple question: how do you stop people in one of London’s busiest locations and make them feel like they’ve stepped into another world? Our answer was to build a connected experience across three layers - advertising, spectacle and immersion, each reaching audiences in a different way.
The ad takeovers were one of the first ideas. Piccadilly’s rhythm of rotating brands became part of the storytelling, as we Tron-ified partner campaigns to make it feel like the Grid was spreading live across the screens. We created mock-ups showing logos glitching and energy lines cutting through familiar ads, and even developed fake campaigns as a backup in case partner approvals didn’t land in time.
The anamorphic Lightcycle sequence was conceived as the hero moment, giving press and audiences a clear focal point to rally around. We designed visual tests to ensure the illusion worked from every angle, creating our most ambitious anamorphic yet.
Once we learned The Venue had been booked, we developed the immersive Grid space beneath the screens, using projection mapping and lighting to make the room feel endless. This added depth to the campaign: the screens drew the crowds, the spectacle created momentum, and the immersive space turned it into something people stayed for, shared, and talked about.
