The TSX tower, located in the heart of Times Square, NY, is a multi-year, multi-billion dollar experiential venue, founded on the mission to create a wonderland for avid fans to connect with their favorite artists / brands.
The first phase, completed in late 2022, brought forth the 600-room Tempo hotel by Hilton and the TSX Stage wrapped in the world’s largest 8K Screen with Sound.
The second phase, due in 2025, will activate the crowd-facing Broadcast Studio, the Event Space & Gallery, the Music Venue & Club and the Artist Lounge floors.
The third and last phase opens up the Restaurant and Outdoor Terrace, which is designed to be integrated with the TSX App to deliver a unique dining experience.
When all phases are complete, the Takeover concept takes form, giving an artist or a brand the ability to express their vision against the tech-enabled backdrop of the TSX building in a residency-like style for a week, a month or more.
Where we are today
Over the last year and a half, TSX has surpassed all expectations of Phase 1, seeing unprecedented growth and reaction to the suite of newly created TSX Programs.
TSX established itself as a premier brand in the music and entertainment space by producing 3 epic shows with the biggest artists in the world, which went on to winning 6 Clio awards, as well as disrupting the billboard industry by launching PixelStar.
PixelStar
PixelStar is the world’s largest social feed, in the heart of Times Square . The TSX App and platform enables users to upload a 15-second video or photo, which can be scheduled to appear on the TSX Screen, giving them a creative and memorable way to celebrate special occasions, promote their brand, or simply enjoy a unique moment of fame in Times Square.
700K
App Downloads
168
Countries
$4M
ARR
Over the span of 1 year, PixelStar disrupted the traditional use of a billboard and made it possible for anyone in the world to get their 15-seconds of fame. In that timeframe, we have seen immense growth month-over-month with new users from different countries. This growth in engagement and conversion also brought forth the concept of Gift Vouchers and Packages, giving users different options.
TSX Stage Concert Series
July 18,2023: Post Malone
“This is the coolest venue in the f**king universe.”
- Post Malone
November 9,2023: Jung Kook
$54 Million in earned media
4.8 BILLION total online audience
March 26,2024: Shakira
Shakira drew the largest crowd in Times Square history with 40,000 fans.
How we got here
As the first hire at TSX, stepping into the role of Senior Vice President of Product & Design, my primary task involved assembling a product development team with diverse skillsets and experiences, establishing an iconic brand identity and formulating a comprehensive product strategy essential for materializing the TSX vision.
In preparation for the mid-2022 grand opening of TSX Stage & Screen, the team explored innovative ways to leverage these assets. Since the remaining phases were incomplete, the focus was on activating the already established audience of about 400,000 visitors daily to Times Square.
The team spent three days together going through collective observations, sketching various concepts and discussing the viability of each. Three concepts emerged:
Me-saic: Using the 18,000 sq ft screen to compile a live mosaic of selfies taken from those visiting Times Square.
Ballon Pop: An interactive game, where visitors of Times Square could use the TSX App and augmented reality to pop balloons floating on the TSX Screen.
Silent Disco: TSX to host Silent Discos on Duffy Square, showcasing screen's real-time synchronized sound capability.
Goal: Activate Times Square
Use the TSX Stage and Screen, outside of traditional OOH advertising, to:
Unveil the TSX Brand & Mission
Drive awareness & engagement
Establish revenue streams
Approach
Synthesize Data & Research
Conduct Design Sprint
Test Concepts with Users
We then created high-fidelity prototypes to be tested with real users, from in-person interviews at Times Square to remote testing against the identified target persona groups.
We resoundingly found that people like the idea of seeing themselves on a Times Square billboard. More so as a feature of themselves rather than a part of a giant mosaic.
With those learnings, we proceeded to define the following in sequence:
Jobs to be done
Value & Feasibility assessment
North Star Metric & Input Metrics
Objectives & Key Results, Strategic Initiatives
MVP User Experience Journey & Usability and Validation Test Plans
Go To Market Plans & Operational Run-books
We settled on a viable product that satisfied our four risks (Value, Usability, Feasibility & Viability) and decided to time our launch with New Year’s Eve, the biggest event in Times Square. We internally produced 12 different commercials that would rotate on the TSX Screen to drive awareness to download the TSX App. Within 2 weeks, we saw dramatic growth going from an average of 10 orders a day to 100 orders a day. We found our product-market fit by settling on a $40 per takeover price point and opened up a broader audience by supporting images and content editing.
As of 2024, PixelStar averages over 300 orders a day and is used around the world.