3D advertisements and augmented reality are popping up everywhere, allowing advertisers to broaden their capacity to market while engaging the consumers in a unique way.
If you see virtual cars driving across buildings in Singapore and pedestrians’ faces smiling across the billboards of Times Square you might think you are in some sort of modern Kafkaesque novella. But do not fret, as these bizarre images-while perhaps 3D-are not out to get you. They instead represent the new creative force of advertising in which consumers no longer play a passive viewing role. While SME Speaks has already touched upon the growing trend of consumer involvement in rebranding efforts and marketing initiatives (see The Power of the Crowd…and Your Brand), the recent turn towards interactive advertising is an entire story of its own- just ask the French tourists who played Volleyball at the Corona pop-up court in Times Square this past May.
In a world where anyone can become famous via Youtube and where all can have ‘followers’ on Twitter, it is no wonder that individuals would rather see their faces up on the billboards rather than those of six-foot tall Brazilian models, no offense Gisele. Adding interactive components to marketing efforts also greatly increases the chances of grabbing people’s attention as they hustle by.
This movement towards personal consumer involvement has been all the more propelled by the recent developments in 3D and other digital technologies. Forever21’s ‘augmented reality’ billboard has a virtual model that stands over a digital shot of the pedestrians below, highlighting passersby and even picking them up and moving them (virtually, of course) all before your very eyes. A few blocks away, Macy’s has a 3D campaign in their windows, an outside Disney’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice “Inwindow Outdoor” display lets you propel virtual fireballs at unwanted targets and cast spells on digital images, all on your way to work.
So while Kafka’s world may at first seem to be close at hand, the reality of this marketing wave is that it works to engage consumers in fun, interesting and interactive ways. Letting pedestrians experience advertising is a brilliant way to instill brand memory and customer interest. So next time you find yourself being picked up by a giant virtual model in a pretty floral dress, don’t expect to wake up as a giant immobile bug—for now at least, it’s all about the ad.