Who's Projecting Samsung Ads on This Fitler Square High Rise?
A white van on the Walnut Street bridge has been projecting Samsung ads onto 2400 Chestnut without the building's permission. Here's what we uncovered about the situation.
By James Young
Recently, Fitler Square residents noticed an odd new feature in the neighborhood: a large video advertisement projected onto an exterior wall of 2400 Chestnut, a 34-story apartment building near the banks of the Schuylkill River.
The video, a brief 10-second loop, is an ad for Samsung’s newest flagship phone, the Galaxy S25.
Initially, it seemed that the ad had been sanctioned by the owners of 2400 Chestnut, but the story took an unexpected turn: the building’s manager claims that the ad was “not authorized” and that an unknown “white van” had been projecting the ad from the Walnut St bridge without the knowledge or consent of the owners or managers.
A Partial Answer
The Fitler Focus can exclusively report that the mysterious projections were carried out by ATD Audio Visual, a Bronx-based production company operating as a subcontractor. When contacted, ATD Audio Visual declined to identify the ad agency that hired them for the Samsung campaign.
According to an employee who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the work, ATD handled only the physical projection operations. The selection of 2400 Chestnut's blank wall was made by the ad agency seeking high-visibility locations.
The agency, not ATD, also determined the timing and frequency of these unauthorized projections, the employee said. Despite multiple requests, ATD representatives declined to name the agency.
On a recent February night, the white van was easily spotted on the Walnut Street bridge, with its high-powered projector beaming the ad onto 2400 Chestnut.
Guerilla Marketing
This practice, known as “projection mapping,” is a new and controversial form of marketing that has increased in popularity in recent years. The projection is also a case of what is known as “guerilla marketing,” which involves unapproved advertisement in public areas.
In early January, a similar Samsung ad, also advertising the S25 phone, was projected onto the famed London Eye ferris wheel.
Samsung’s media department did not respond to a request for comment.
According to Lumen and Forge, a Las Vegas-based projection mapping agency, the phenomenon of “guerilla projection mapping” exists in a “legal grey area.” Guerilla projection mapping, which came to prominence during the Occupy Wall Street campaign, could lead to charges of “trespassing [and] property damage.”
Although Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses & Inspections (L&I) requires a permit for outdoor advertising, it does not specifically refer to projection as a form of outdoor advertisement. A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department did not have prior knowledge of the situation but said that unauthorized projections could violate L&I regulations. L&I did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Philly's Legal Light Shows
Projection mapping itself is not an unprecedented practice in Philadelphia, although this is perhaps the first documented case of guerilla projection mapping in the city.
In 2022, a city-sanctioned Holiday Light Show, presented in partnership with Independence Blue Cross, was projected onto the West side of City Hall each night from November 15th to New Year’s Day. Independence Blue Cross has also worked with local projection mapping company Klip Collective to create projection mapping installations on the “IBX” statue outside their Center City headquarters.
According to Klip Collective’s website, the company has provided its projection services at numerous other locations including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Sundance Film Festival; Klip Collective could not be reached for comment on this article.