Paramount Pictures is turning London’s world-famous Piccadilly Lights to stone in a colossal collaboration to mark the highly anticipated release of Ridley Scott’s blockbuster, Gladiator II in UK cinemas from November 15.
Throughout the day on Friday (8 November), Piccadilly Lights will “frieze” into an epic stone patchwork featuring Gladiator II, Samsung, Trainline, TK Maxx and LEGO®. The five have united to reimagine their adverts through the lens of Roman AD 211, using “hand carved” stone bas relief, a prevalent art form of the time.
To create their monumental Romanised centrepiece:
- Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal are immortalised in the arena, the movie’s November 15 release date contextualised in Roman numerals.
- Samsung features their latest Neo QLED television, the picture so sharp that it puts a Gladiator on the edge of his seat when the giant rhino from the film leaps towards him.
- Trainline presents a playful take on ‘your carriage awaits’ with a train swapped for a horse and chariot.
- TK Maxx, or Maxximus, celebrate their epic brands at heroic prices.
- LEGO® UK shows that Rome can be built in a day, inviting adults to play with their Lego Icon range.
The unveiling was celebrated with Roman soldiers and gladiators, including horses and chariot in tow, who took over a series of London locations including Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square.
The group of twenty were in costumes used in the film, alongside the actual chariot prop from set. They led the charge from Trafalgar Square to Piccadilly Circus before swapped their chariot for an open-top bus to get the best view of the modern-day capital.
The costumes were designed by Dave Crossman, who created costumes for an array of Romans for the film, including 150 individual gladiators. Amongst gladiators also walked Roman soldiers, Praetorians and Roman Cavalry soldiers, each with a unique style of uniform to indicate their rank. More than 2,000 costumes were created for the film in total by artisans across the world, with the supervision of Crossman and his team.
John Fletcher, Paramount Pictures UK Managing Director said: “This year’s most spectacular movie deserves a campaign equal in stature. Piccadilly lights is truly iconic and we’re delighted to have been able to collaborate with so many brands and agencies on this ambitious project. We’re thrilled with the outcome and is a testament to the hard work of so many parties to make this happen.”
Paramount Pictures’ Gladiator II, starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Mescal builds on the legacy of Ridley Scott’s original multi–Academy Award winning Gladiator which was released 25 years ago.
