Instagram on steroids: New Seattle company turning buildings into giant screens

Everyone seems to have something to say or show these days, but sometimes Facebook or Twitter just isn’t enough. For those that want to take their message to the streets a newly launched Seattle company is trying to fill the bill.

Over the last two weeks, a handful of buildings in Seattle’s Belltown, Capitol Hill and Downtown neighborhoods have become massive screens where everything from political statements to pictures submitted over the Internet are projected throughout the evening.

It’s the work of Deehubs, the brainchild of aspiring tech entrepreneur Bakar Maruashvili and several of his friends who emigrated from the Republic of Georgia in search of the American Dream.

“In our country, freedom of speech is sometimes not considered a luxury and we wanted another opportunity to better spread the word,” Maruashvili said.

For now, it’s strictly social – sort of Instagram or Twitter on steroids. Anyone who signs up for the service can post their message or image for free, as long as it’s not obscene or in some way offensive. Then it’s projected during the evening hours.

It’s eye catching and sparking a lot of interest around town. Among the images projected on a Belltown building Monday night were pictures of couples from all over the world, a love letter, a variety of political statements and inspirational quotes, and random photography submitted by users from all over the world.

While the images rotate, they are captured and posted on the Deehubs website so people can view everything that was projected on a given evening.

“People love to send their funny quotes and pictures, so we see it’s not just about freedom of speech, but it’s very entertaining and very fun,” Maruashvili said.

Although there’s a certain amount of altruism and social justice inspiring the creators, they also have serious business ambitions.

The team moved from Dubai to Seattle after getting funding from a startup incubator. They plan to incorporate advertising into their projections and launch digital billboards as well in the next year, with plans to expand nationwide and then ultimately around the world.

That would put them in direct competition with advertising giants like Clear Channel that control the market in Seattle and other cities around the country. But Maruashvili is confident advertisers will flock to their platform. He claims a number of major media companies plan to sign up in the coming year.

“Brands want to be in a place where people are connecting, people are engaging.”

Maruashvili even envisions people coming together to play video games on the side of buildings, but city sign regulations will play a big part in determining how much they can actually get away with.

Along with regulators, the company is also gaining some other unwanted attention. Last week, a number of obscene and politically incorrect messages launched by members of a notorious website got through the system.

Maruashvili shrugs off the attack, saying the company has taken steps to improve security, and the attack might have had an unintended consequence – bringing far more attention to the company.

If you want to see Deehubs projections in action, you can check their Facebook page for updates. For the time being, the company is rotating locations nightly.