And a range of new products on the market are now offering shoppers and advertisers more than the average poster site.

At Bluewater in Kent, Ross McCall, commercialisation manager, is rolling out a digital strategy, with the eventual aim of replacing all paper poster sites with digital screen media and signage.

The most recent installation at Bluewater is a 101-sq ft digital window display from WindowGain that's attracting huge attention in one of the mall's empty shop units in Lower Thames Walk, opposite the Watercircus.

The window is being used for a mixture of Bluewater public information and advertising from brands such as Vodaphone.

McCall says: "The opportunity was just fantastic. It's an enormous screen that has a high impact on the mall and is part of the digital strategy we're rolling out at the moment, which is at a very embryonic stage."

A great advantage is that the screen can be quickly and easily removed from an empty shop unit once a tenant occupies it and simply relocated in the next vacant store.

In addition to WindowGain, Bluewater has in the last couple of months introduced a 3D television - known as AdPod - in the waiting area of the newly refurbished ladies' washroom in the West Village, where 3D fashion shows are broadcast by brands advertising their wares, including the likes of Diesel and Estée Lauder. Bluewater is the first location for this product, developed by Wonderworks, but it is beginning to be rolled out to shopping centres worldwide. The AdPod allows brands to advertise in 3D format on the main side or in traditional poster or digital screen formats, which are found on the other three sides.

General manager of Wonderworks, Jason Robinson, says: "It's much more engaging than normal digital advertising and it can sit on an existing digital network, or we can put our own system in there."

AdPod is modular in design and can be modified to suit individual sponsors by branding and customising the housing. It's easy to assemble and maintain and the system can be remotely monitored, and 3D content updated, via the internet.

Robinson explains that the content can include adapted film footage from product launches. He adds: "A picture of Richard Branson, full size on stage at a launch, can be miniaturised in 3D format in one of the pods. So from a product launch they can go to the mass public in 3D, rather than just reaching the 200 or 300 people at the launch event.

"Brands can have their campaign but in addition shoot their products on a black background, for our use. It's then just a matter of a re-edit, rather than a re-shoot. It can be part of a coherent campaign across all media. It's just a matter of knowing the AdPod is available and what it can do when companies come to create and shoot the content for their latest campaign."

AdPod is available either to buy whole with the majority of profits going to the centre owner - guaranteed at a minimum level - or alternatively Wonderworks will install the pod for free and take the lion's share of the profits.

Bluewater has also recently introduced interactive floors, from Visual Interactive Promotions (VIP), where children can play with, stamp on and chase projected images of footballs, fish, cars etc. The interactive floors can be found in the Wintergarden area and in Guildhall. A further installation is expected in the coming weeks.

Autoglass and car park valet company Motorclean are currently using the interactive floors to advertise their services - their names blending seamlessly with the interactive games that are proving extremely popular and attracting huge attention.

Owner of VIP Robert Kneller says: "We fund all the installations and maintenance and we then operate on a profit share basis. It's win-win for the centre. I'm hoping they'll also find it improves their dwell time as the interactive floors do always seem to attract a crowd.

"It's a huge benefit for advertisers as people are taking photos and are playing with it and we can give them a live camera link to their site so they can watch how many people interact with their advertising."

Display specialist Esprit Digital unveiled its latest innovation at Screen Expo 2008 - the ground-breaking StreetBright screen.

The new StreetBright display panels are a world first and enable high definition digital images to be viewed just as clearly in daylight as when night falls.

As well as being brighter and more adaptable than other light sources, the displays are more energy efficient and contain no mercury, which can be hazardous to the environment.

Their advanced LED backlight technology means the screens are capable of a 3,000 cd/m2 output, compared to a more typical 450 cd/m2 for normal displays.

Esprit Digital director, James Brenner, says: "We're delighted to be launching StreetBright as we believe this product to be absolutely unique in the market place. Creating digital display screens, which are just as sharp and vivid in bright sunlight as they are in dark conditions, was the Holy Grail of display technology and we're proud to be the first ones to achieve it."

Like all Esprit Digital screens, StreetBright screens can be wall hung or placed back to back, depending on location and requirements. And they can be mounted in rugged, vandal-proof and waterproof sealed enclosures.

The displays can be managed using the company's patented ImageFlow software or using media packages running under Windows XP, Linux or similar systems. They can also take input from a range of other sources including wireless and 3G mobile communications and the internet.

The StreetBright screens come in a standard 65-inch size, but bespoke versions can be created to any size.

Meanwhile, some new advertising outlets are offering retail centres more than just a revenue generating opportunity. New advertising units from 247 Outdoor that have been installed at the Trident Retail Park in Runcorn, Cheshire, offer far more than the average poster site. The park is the first to benefit from this new advertising opportunity.

The advertisements are mounted on the lighting columns in the car park, above the height of people and passing cars. They are internally lit and are designed to take six sheet advertising posters. But, in addition to the advertising platform, one of the 'Lightsite' advertising units has been fitted with the Amberwatch inform and warn system, which has also been developed by 247 Outdoor.

Controlled by the senior staff at the Trident Centre, the Amberwatch messaging system is highly flexible, allowing a wide variety of information to be conveyed, such as details about events or functions, crime initiatives or seasonal risks. In addition, the two-line LED messaging system can also be used to allow police to post missing persons alerts or pass other vital information to members of the public.

The beauty of the system is that it is completely self-funding thanks to the installation's ability to carry advertising.

Promotion exposure

Commercialisation agency Promotion Space has acquired changing room media specialists Fitting Exposure as part of its ongoing plans for significant expansion.

Fitting Exposure supplies changing room media to a range of leading high street fashion retailers including TK Maxx, Miss Selfridge, New Look, Dorothy Perkins and Topman, and manages over 20,000 poster sites across the UK, Ireland and France, delivering campaigns for the likes of PS2, Nivea and Vodafone.

This represents the first of a series of planned acquisitions by Promotion Space, which secured investment from Octopus earlier this year.

Promotion Space's CEO Steve Hughes, says: "We're totally committed to becoming the UK's one-stop solution for commercialisation, and acquiring Fitting Exposure helps increase our offering to brands, and enables us to utilise their relationships with blue-chip brands, opening up more of the UK's £13bn marketing spend into shopping centres."

A powerful partnership

Advertising on outdoor media contractor Vision Media Group's (VMG) screen sites couldn't be easier after outdoor advertising company Clear Channel Outdoor completed the signing of a 10-year commitment with Vision Media.

This commitment has now been fully agreed for the procurement of advertising across VMG's nationwide mall network of digital screens and will support all future malls that VMG develops in the years to come.

Barry Sayer, CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor UK, says: "As market leader we're constantly looking at ways of improving our portfolio to ensure we provide our customers with the most flexible and innovative advertising solutions. Our current expansion into interactive and digital technologies is complemented by our partnership with VMG, who are committed to developing the UK's premier digital mall network."

Dominic Brookman, CEO of VMG, adds: "Shopping centres are effectively high streets with a roof over the top, and the high footfall within them is a valuable audience for advertisers. Our partnership with Clear Channel is a first for the UK outdoor advertising industry and we're delighted to be working with such a prestigious company. We have now successfully executed our vision of outsourcing national sales to the industry leader and are confident that this agreement will be the turning point in the company's financial performance."

Clear Channel has also recently carried out research to support the success of proximity advertising.

"Proximity is a major factor in capturing shoppers' attention and influencing their decisions, especially at point of sale, and can show itself in immediate behaviour," says marketing director Pip Hainsworth, who points out that the key areas include health and beauty, books and magazines, fashion, electrical, mother and baby and telecoms, among others.

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