Advertising

Entertainment Weekly embeds video in print ad

By Darren Quick

22:49 August 25, 2009 PDT

The rise of the Internet has seen some pundits label print media as an increasingly obsolete medium whose death is imminent, but U.S. showbiz mag Entertainment Weekly, along with CBS, is attempting to bring magazines into the multimedia age by embedding a video player in a print ad promoting CBS’s fall TV lineup and Pepsi. Read More

Vikuiti Rear Projection Film turns shop windows into very big screen TVs

By Darren Quick

01:31 July 13, 2009 PDT

Taking a stroll through your average city shopping precinct will see you bombarded with a plethora of advertising messages. Making their particular message cut through the visual noise can be a tough prospect for advertisers and plain old billboards and static signs just don’t seem to cut the mustard anymore. Those looking to grab people’s attention might want to take a look at 3M’s Vikuiti Rear Projection Film, which can be laminated onto transparent glass or plastic to act as an eye-catching rear projection screen. Read More

World's largest LED screen to be built in (where else) Dubai

By Emily Clark

02:28 October 7, 2008 PDT

Dubai is set to be home to the world’s largest LED screen - a curved, 300ft+ tall monster that will be visible from a distance of just under 1 mile. The screen will make up the facade of the “Podium” skyscraper which will offer commercial and retail space across 35 floors of around 10,000 square feet each with over 50,000 square feet of parking space. Read More

Flexible, lightweight, 1-millimeter thick, 125-inch plasma display

By Darren Quick

23:49 May 18, 2008 PDT

May 19, 2008 There’s at least one reason to look forward to the InfoComm 2008 conference in Las Vegas this June with next-generation large-screen display manufacturer Shinoda Plasma announcing plans to exhibit a flexible, 1-millimeter thick, 125-inch film-type prototype display that can be used as a curved or wrap-around screen. At a low-key unveiling on May 15, Shinoda Plasma announced plans to exhibit the 3 x 1 meter, (9 feet 10-inches x 3 feet 3-inches) plasma tube array (PTA) display, which consists of 3 seamlessly integrated 1 x 1 meter square sub-modules and offers a resolution of 960 x 360 and weighs in at 3.6 kilograms (8 lbs), or about 10 times less than a conventional plasma display. At the unveiling Shinodo Plasma also confirmed their intent to begin small-scale production of a 150-inch (3 x 2 meter) version this autumn. While digital signage and advertising applications are sure to be the main uses for the ultrathin displays, there are sure to be plenty of people wanting a display or two for the walls at home to avoid painting. Read More

Television 2.0 offering from Sezmi promises personalized, on-demand viewing

By Darren Quick

18:31 May 2, 2008 PDT

May 2, 2008 The way people watch, and indeed interact with their televisions is undergoing a fundamental shift - a shift from mass entertainment to a personalized, targeted, interactive entertainment (and advertising) platform. Sezmi Corporation (formerly known as Building B, Inc.) has seen the writing on the wall and is hoping to be a major player in what has been dubbed Television 2.0. The company has announced that it is commencing trials in pilot markets in preparation for commercial launch with broadband service providers and national retailers later this year. Read More

Samsung and adidas miCoach fitness phone

By Mike Hanlon

22:21 March 6, 2008 PST

March 6, 2008 It is inevitable that one day our mobile phones will monitor the body’s key functions - ubiquitous usage of such a device moved closer this week when Samsung and Adidas announced the miCoach mobile phone. The miCoach comes with a stride sensor (pedometer) and heart rate monitor, enabling the phone’s software to monitor your workouts and advise/push you with a voice-simulating personal coach. Despite concepts from Nokia and Microsoft, and add ons from Kiwok and Alivetech , the miCoach is the first phone with heart rate functionality, so it is a milestone. Read More

SnapTell launch interactive camera phone marketing

By Darren Quick

16:45 November 15, 2007 PST

November 16, 2007 Marketers are always looking for new ways to reach customers and the ongoing boom in mobile phones has seen mobile marketing become an important part of the mix. Now SnapTell, a provider of image-recognition-based mobile marketing solutions, has announced the release of its "Snap.Send.Get" solution that converts every camera phone into an opt-in marketing device. Snap.Send.Get enables consumers to obtain information with the snap of a photo while marketers, in the process, get to create a personalized and targeted brand conversation with their customers. The SnapTell solution works with all camera phones, using existing collateral and product packaging, thereby doing away with the need for special barcodes or additional software. Read More

World’s largest outdoor ads to target airline passengers

By Emily Clark

18:01 September 26, 2007 PDT

September 27, 2007 Fledgling company Ad-Air has announced plans to target airline passengers with enormous flight path ads at the world’s busiest airports. The first of its kind project will see digitally printed ad skins of 20,000 square meters (215,000 square feet) – that twice the size of London’s Trafalgar Square – placed within view of window seat passengers. Read More

Inwindow launch large-format interactive outdoor advertising

By Emily Clark

18:55 September 11, 2007 PDT

September 12, 2007 Inwindow Outdoor has launched a large-format interactive video projection platform for retail storefront outdoor advertising. The new product utilizes larger than life images linked to sophisticated motion detecting Human Locator technology to allow displays to interact with passersby. Read More

Smart video advertising at the petrol pump – rolling out in 115 countries globally

By Loz Blain

July 26, 2007 Pay-at-the-pump petrol is a great convenience for drivers, but it sucks profit away from the retailers who derive the majority of profit from convenience store sales. Petrol buyers are the perfect target for point-of-sale advertising – they’re already out of their car, and what’s another five dollars of snacks or coffee on top of a $50 fill-up? To combine the best of these scenarios and catch more of these disposable dollars, a global partnership between three market giants is about to target every petrol customer in 115 countries with a sophisticated video advertising campaign right at the pump, and it promises to change the gas station experience for good. Read More

The great newspaper giveaway ... and why the music industry is still brain-dead

By Mike Hanlon

July 1, 2007 We admire people who have the consistent ability to think outside the square and the artist formerly known as Prince has a history of innovation, in not just his music. His latest stroke of business model remodelling genius is priceless because despite being guaranteed massive sales of his next album, he has decided to give the entire album away FREE inside a British Sunday newspaper, severely upsetting the music industry. The industry has only just begun to acknowledge how counter-productive its greed and lack of vision (e.g. suing its customers) has been, so it’s remarkable they cannot see the benefits of this incredibly savvy move. Read More

Game Advertising growing at 33% CAGR - more than any other medium

By Mike Hanlon

June 29, 2007 Computer games, be they console- or PC-based, elicit a level of involvement far beyond anything man’s ingenuity has previously created. The ability to produce an instantaneous and appropriate response to every action can generate a realism and intensity of connection waaay beyond the passive experience of watching television, or the audio wallpaper of radio, with a passion approaching that of procreation. This has not escaped the world’s most creative and influential minds (aka advertising creative directors) who see this as the ideal circumstance in which to deliver a message that will stay with us – gaming offers both a wonderful new way to interact with a brand, and an opportune time to tattoo a brand name on the psyche while the brain is open and engaged. Right now, household penetration of game consoles is approaching mainstream media status, yet the average monthly household advertising expenditure of the medium is less than 50 cents, compared to US$37 for broadcast TV. Is it any wonder then that this seriously under-leveraged advertising medium will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33% until 2012, much higher than that of other major advertising media, including TV, radio, print, and the Internet. Read More

Analysts: Nintendo DS will penetrate 89% of Japanese households by 2011

By Loz Blain

June 26, 2007 A Nintendo in every pocket? The phenomenally successful Nintendo DS handheld gaming console is comprehensively trouncing the more powerful Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) around the world - but nowhere is Nintendo mania more alive than in Japan, where on current sales and penetration figures, a key industry analysis firm has forecast that 89% of Japanese households will have a Nintendo DS by the year 2011. What a stunning figure! Read More

The Falcon Game Controller - with realistic force feedback

By Mike Hanlon

UPDATED IMAGES June 30, 2007 We all know the keyboard and mouse are NOT the future of the computer human interface, and to be frank, we’re getting a bit sick of waiting for a replacement capable of generating critical mass. One device with the potential to play a role in the next generation interface, at least in the area of computer games, began shipping this month. Novint Technologies’ highly anticipated, award-winning Novint Falcon game controller is now available in a special Limited Edition bundle. The Falcon is an entirely new type of 3D game interface that makes virtual objects and environments feel real. Replacing a computer mouse or joystick, the US$190 Falcon is, essentially a small robot that lets you feel shape, weight, texture, dimension, dynamics, 3D motion, and force effects when playing enabled games. Read More

Radio-equipped Visa card lets you pay your cab fare with a wave

By Loz Blain

June 13, 2007 For all the convenience of not carrying cash around, credit cards can still be a fairly cumbersome way to pay, particularly for small purcahses. Visa's PayWave system cuts the signature out of the process for transactions under $25; you simply wave your card at a sensor, wait for the green light and go. The system already has about 31,000 implementations in the United States and is now rolling out into New York taxicabs, where it will speed up the payment process. Read More

Fatal1ty continues to build cyber-athlete profile

By Mike Hanlon

June 13, 2007 There are no really valid metrics for the sport of computer gaming, which encompasses multiple platforms, dozens of genres, thousands of titles and a billion regular participants, but all things considered, Johnathan Fatal1ty Wendel is unquestionably the world’s best gamer. The 26 year-old cyber-athlete turned professional in 1999 and has since won more pro comps and prize money than any other gamer, including 10 World titles on FIVE DIFFERENT GAMES. He has won 67% of all the competitions he has entered and been top three in 92% of them. Fatal1ty trains like an athlete at least eight hours a day, running and playing tennis and honing his reflexes, strategies and other requisite skills to ensure he remains the most visible and well remunerated cyber-athlete on the planet. In keeping with the cult of celebrity, Fatal1ty is now beginning to rub shoulders with iconic names in other fields. His latest exploits at Computex Taipei, where he won the final shootout with a scoreline of 74 to minus 3 will only add to the growing legend. Read More

Internet Advertising Revenues Soar Again

By Mike Hanlon

June 7, 2007 Figures released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers today show that Internet advertising revenues continue to skyrocket, the tech wreck of six years ago just an insignificant correction. The 2007 first quarter revenues of US$4.9 billion represent a 26 percent increase over Q1 2006 at US$3.8 billion and a 2 percent increase over Q4 2006 at US$4.8 billion. “The continued growth of online ad revenues clearly illustrates marketers’ increased comfort with the extraordinary vitality and accountability of this medium,” commented IAB President and CEO Randall Rothenberg. “It reaches consumers with an unprecedented level of efficiency and measurability that provides marketers with actionable data. And the ever-changing landscape of new platforms and technologies that enrich interactive advertising guarantees that this growth trend will continue.” Read More

Digital paper with interactivity and sound

By Mike Hanlon

June 6, 2007 Paper has been the predominant advertising medium since advertising began and despite the likelihood that it will lose that mantle in the foreseeable future, there’s life in the old dog yet. Swedish researchers are showing a working prototype of a fourth generation of paper products that can communicate with computers. By combining paper with printed graphic codes and electronically conductive ink that is engineered to be sensitive to pressure. When the paper “buttons” are touched, the sound is played out via the printed speakers. A video of the paper used in large boards and store displays can be seen here. The technology has obvious application in high-impact point-of-purchase promotional displays. Read More

Neural input device hints at gaming revolution

By Noel McKeegan

June 6, 2007 It is perhaps the most sought after technological goal in the digital age, an interface that will allow you to throw away the humble keyboard and mouse and take control of your computer by simply thinking. The latest foray into this rapidly evolving field is the Neural Impulse Actuator, a gaming interface prototype unveiled at Computex 2007 that reads brain signals instead of keyboard strokes to provide a hands-free computer control. Read More

Hyper-accurate 3D models of the human body

By Mike Hanlon

June 5, 2007 With multimedia technologies maturing, we are beginning to see some quite remarkable media tools emerging so that experts and educational publishers can more easily develop new ways of displaying information and furthering understanding. Going one step further, Zygote Media Group used its expertise in those fields to create hyper-accurate 3D models of the human body. The models are available to anyone but will find most application with companies in the biomedical, entertainment, athletic gear, and video gaming industries to ensure the term “anatomically correct” applies to the products they develop. The models are incredibly detailed (skeletons, heart, arteries, nerves, and muscle tissue) and have already been used in the development of new products such as back braces, shin guards, sports shoes and stents to place in damaged arteries. Read More

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – the DVD game

By Mike Hanlon

June 2, 2007 TV ratings don’t lie – for better or worse, it seems the format of the popular TV show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, which somehow makes it look easy for anyone with an IQ larger than their shoe size to win a bundle, just keeps pulling massive audiences. In this age of multi-medium franchises, it was only a matter of time before the TV Show followed the path of “Deal or No Deal” and “Family Feud” and now we can report that Imagination International Corp (IIC) has inked a three-year deal with Disney/ABC for the exclusive rights to the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire DVD Game. The game will be available in Q3 for US$20. Read More

HP demonstrates Retail Store Assistant

By Mike Hanlon

May 30, 2007 With computerisation now an integral part of most retail store infrastructures and the general tech-savviness of the population underpinned by a new generation raised on computer games and the internet, it will be interesting to see how quickly very sophisticated systems come to market. A glimpse at what’s possible in the very near future came this week when HP showed off its Retail Store Assistant, an experimental system designed to enhance the consumer shopping experience and improve efficiency for retailers by bringing the power of online access to brick-and-mortar stores. The idea is that the customer swipes their loyalty card on entering the store, receiving a printout that includes a personalized shopping list, relevant coupons, notice of associated store discounts or sales, and even a map to where the items can be found in the store. Read More

Public transport information to your mobile phone in real time

By Loz Blain

May 24, 2007 The mobile phone's abilities remain vastly underused by the average owner; mobile applications have yet to really take root in our lives. But forward thinking companies like Finland's VTT realise the value of having a screen in every pocket that they can communicate with, and are moving to use the ubiquitous cell phone in creatively commercial ways. Their latest project is a real-time public transport information system operating in two of Finland's major cities. Read More

Spiderman 3 Review (Xbox 360)

By Tim Hanlon

May 22, 2007 Movie licensed games are typically horrible, and should be avoided at all costs. The precedent was set way back in 1982, when lengthy licensing negotiations left a single Atari programmer with just 5 weeks to conceive and develop the entire "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" game. Despite being widely regarded as the worst game ever made, it sold 1.5 million copies - making it the eighth best selling game for the Atari 2600. For obvious reasons, countless movies have been turned into games since 1982, and a mere few gems like Goldeneye 007 and Star Wars Episode 1: Pod Racer have emerged from the noise. Did the developers of Spiderman 3 get enough development time to deliver a polished game in time for the movie? Our Games Editor has the full story. Read More

Geometry Wars: Galaxies coming to Nintendo Wii, DS

By Tim Hanlon

May 22, 2007 Geometry Wars first appeared as a mini-game in Project Gotham Racing 2 for the Xbox, and much to the surprise of the developers, people loved it - enough to warrant a HD sequel on the Xbox 360. Geometry Wars: Evolved was the first game released on Xbox Live Arcade, and to this day remains the cheapest, and arguably, best game available on the service. Finally, Nintendo fans are set for a taste of the hellishly frantic action. Read More