An impactful, interactive special build was part of a multi-format campaign to promote the release of Warner Bros. highly anticipated movie, Sherlock Holmes, while facing heavy competition over the Christmas period.

With Warner Bros. having sponsored the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at top Los Angeles outdoor mall The Grove for the past three years, a special campaign was executed this year to stand out from the clutter of the holiday season. To this end Kinetic built London Town within the mall, recreating the look and feel of the film by constructing the home of Sherlock, Baker Street, at The Grove.

The final execution included a 20ft. Big Ben replica with a working clock face and hourly chime, flickering lanterns lining the street, fog machines to create ‘London fog’ and floor signage and banners dominating the street and promoting the film. LED screens ran the Sherlock Holmes trailer throughout the day.

The national campaign included digital and static formats in the top 5 US markets, including phone kiosks, bulletins, buses, bus shelters and bus wraps, plus landmarks such as the Times Square HD Spectacular.The mall’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony alone was attended by 25,000 people. Visitors were drawn into the Sherlock Holmes experience, stopping to watch trailers and using Big Ben as a photo opportunity dominated by signage promoting the movie release.

Sherlock Holmes faced fierce competition from Avatar, The Squeakquel, Nine, and It’s Complicated. However, Sherlock scored very highly at the box office, with $65.4 million taken during opening weekend. The film set a new record for a Christmas Day opening by grossing $24.9 million.