The New York Mets wanted the world to know they made the switch from Pepsi to Coca-Cola this season, so they did what anyone would do: installed a huge LED sign on their right field roof deck and transformed the Pepsi Porch to Coca-Cola Corner.
Daktronics installed a 26-foot-high by 84-foot-wide LED script display that spells out “Coca-Cola” at Citi Field in time for the team’s 2016 home opener, the latest addition to the stadium in the team’s partnership with the company.
Daktronics also supplies the content for the Mets’ main video board, so it was natural the company’s creative services division would create animation and ambient lighting ideas for the new Coca-Cola sign high above the popular right field seating area.
Daktronics had previously installed similar script displays for the Detroit Tigers and New England Patriots. In this case, Daktronics created more than 30 animations for the Mets to go along with the new Coca-Cola Corner display.
“We have a great relationship with the Mets and are building on that with the production of this content for their new display,” said Ethan Sevilla, Daktronics’ account executive on the project.
“Our professional services team, including on-site trainers, application engineers and creative services artists, worked in conjunction with our project management team, using their engineering drawings to determine the exact pixel dimensions of the display. Completing that complex task allowed us to create a pixel mask, which tells us where content will actually show within the Coca-Cola display lettering.”
At more than 2,200 square feet, the Coca-Cola Corner display is one of the largest of its kind in professional sports and the largest to show brand specific advertising. The LED freeform puck-shaped elements are spaced 35 millimeters apart and can be integrated seamlessly with other displays at Citi Field.
Here’s a look at the new Coca-Cola Corner display in action on Opening Day 2016:
Daktronics also built and installed the Mets’ main video board, which replaced its original CitiVision board in time for the team’s 2015 National League championship season that saw them narrowly miss out on a World Series title. It stretches 54 feet high by 105 feet wide, about 62 percent larger than its 2009 predecessor.
Citi Field also replaced its left-field static signage last year with new fascia displays approximately 5 feet high by 234 feet wide. It uses the newer version of HD-X. Daktronics Creative Services provides transitional elements between different pieces of content, game information, layouts and live video shots for that display.
As the 2016 regular season winds down with the Mets leading the National League wild card race, fans are hoping they’ll finish the job from last season and they’ll be able to celebrate a World Series victory with a Coke and a smile.
