In modern retail, capturing the attention of passersby is no longer a matter of printed posters and static displays, it’s a visual challenge won through technology. Macropix has risen to that challenge and turned it into an extraordinary opportunity for Costa Cruises, one of the most iconic cruise brands in the world.
Costa Cruises and Macropix: when the storefront becomes a digital stage
The project comes to life in Poland, across several Costa Cruises retail stores located in the heart of major shopping centres. The technological choice was as bold as it was visionary: installing transparent and holographic LED displays directly in the storefronts, transforming every glass surface into a living screen that communicates, captivates and astonishes, without ever blocking the view inside the store.
A transparent display is not simply a window monitor: it is a new visual language. Images appear to float in mid-air, videos seem suspended between the customer and the retail space, creating that unmistakable ‘wow effect’ that stops people in their tracks, generates engagement and fuels desire. In a sector like travel and cruising where emotion, aspiration and dream are the true drivers of purchase, this technology is not a luxury: it is a decisive competitive advantage.
The installation: scale, spaces and a complete digital ecosystem
Macropix’s intervention for Costa Cruises Poland encompassed a full hardware and software supply, designed to deliver maximum visual flexibility and complete centralised content management.
Each retail location was equipped with a configuration of Aeris series LED displays, carefully designed to harmoniously cover the glass surfaces of the stores. Display sizes were custom-calibrated to each physical space:
• 1 Aeris LED display, 100 x 200 cm — a compact solution, ideal for targeted communication areas
• 1 Aeris LED display, 300 x 200 cm — a wide-format display with strong visual impact, designed for panoramic messaging and seasonal campaigns
• 3 Aeris LED displays, 200 x 200 cm — a square format, versatile and modular, perfect for dynamic and rotating content
The technological core governing the entire installation is Omnibus, Macropix’s proprietary software platform. Through Omnibus, Costa Cruises can centrally manage all displays, schedule content, organise playlists and update communications across all retail locations in real time, through an intuitive interface that requires no particular technical expertise.
The result is a coherent, scalable digital ecosystem, ready to evolve alongside the brand’s needs: from seasonal promotional campaigns to last-minute communications, everything flows through screens that seem made of pure light.
Aeris: the technology that turns storefronts into experiences
Behind every installation is a remarkable product: Aeris, Macropix’s series of transparent LED displays that is redefining the very concept of visual communication in retail environments. But what exactly is a transparent display? And why does it make such a difference compared to a conventional screen?
Images suspended in mid-air
The feature that strikes most people seeing Aeris for the first time is its transparency: up to 95% of the surface remains see-through. This means that the videos and images on display appear to literally float in the air, in front of the storefront, creating a holographic effect unmatched in the traditional digital signage landscape. The interior of the store is never hidden, instead, the perception of those looking in from outside is enriched and elevated.
Brightness without compromise
Transparent does not mean dim. Aeris delivers powerful, vivid luminosity, capable of cutting through even the most sun-exposed storefronts. Content remains sharp, vibrant and impactful in any lighting condition, whether in a shopping centre with intense artificial lighting or on an outdoor-facing facade.
Lightness and simplified installation
One of the greatest challenges in fitting out large-scale digital surfaces is weight. Aeris has been engineered to be exceptionally lightweight and slim — features that greatly simplify installation and minimise structural impact on the building. Multiple mounting options are available:
• Suspended from ceiling or structure
• Floor-standing and self-supporting
• On sliding tracks, for dynamic and reconfigurable setups
Large surfaces, absolute visual continuity
Thanks to its frameless design and invisible module joins, Aeris allows seamless digital walls to be composed up to 9 metres in height. No black borders, no visible breaks — just an uninterrupted visual flow that transforms any glazed surface into a large-format storytelling canvas.
Tailor-made flexibility
Every space is different, and Aeris is built to adapt. The system is modular and cuttable to size, meaning it can cover non-standard windows, irregular facades or surfaces with unusual geometries. The space does not adapt to the product, the product embraces the space.
With Aeris, Macropix offers Costa Cruises not just a communication tool, but an experience. Every storefront becomes a portal to distant worlds, dreamed-of destinations, adventures waiting to be lived. And it is precisely there, in the moment a passerby stops to look, that the journey begins.
