• by Erik Sass , September 27, 2007

One of the nation's largest mall owners, Westfield Malls, is getting new indoor billboards at malls nationwide courtesy of Universal Media Networks. The Westfield deal follows a similar agreement with Macerich Malls, giving Universal considerable reach for in-store campaigns.

Universal's specialty is large, two-sided billboards that hang in mall atrium spaces, including high-traffic areas near the entrances. Universal CEO Allan Cohen claims the 10-foot by 14-foot atrium billboards are "high-impact and are seen by 90% of shoppers that enter the mall."

Westfield operates 59 malls around the country, concentrated in California, Florida, New York and parts of the Midwest. Macerich Malls operates 73 properties concentrated in the Western part of the country, New York, and the Washington, D.C. metro area, complementing Westfield Malls geographically.

Universal has also signed a deal with Streetblimps, which uses large floating balloons as eye-catching platforms for ad messages. The Streetblimps agreement allows advertisers to extend their campaign to a five-mile radius outside the malls. The partnership also offers advertisers sidewalk decals, branded shrink-wrapped cars and branded Segways.