Digital media makes splash in creative interactive advertising

As technology becomes more sophisticated, digital media is being utilized by advertisers to connect with customers in more creative ways. Many companies are joining the trend, but the best ones are coming up with ways to combine their digital signage technology with interactive marketing. Here are some ways companies are using digital media to take interactive advertising to the next level to engage their customers:

Reacting to real-time events
A digital subway ad in Sweden promoted hair care products with an interactive display that changed a model’s hair from normal to windswept as trains entered and left the station. Another digital billboard above London’s Heathrow Airport displayed a seated child standing up and pointing directly to passing British Airways planes as they took off. The fitting hashtag #lookup was placed in the bottom corner, and flight numbers and destinations appeared for each flight as it passed by.

Putting the customer at the center of the action
BMW won the Content Award of the Year at the Digital Signage Expo for its interactive display in New York City. “BMW i: A Window Into the Near Future” used digital projection and motion-sensing technologies to transform passing cars into BMW electric and hybrid vehicles in real time. Drivers and pedestrians could look through BMW’s “window” to see BMWs mirrored back instead of the cars driving by on the street.
A shopping center in Brisbane, Australia put customers in virtual action against pirates and lions in an interactive digital display during school holidays, delighting kids and increasing shopper engagement.

Creating customized advertising experiences
Coca-Cola created a particularity impressive digital advertising experience for Valentine’s Day this year. A virtual vending machine hidden in a wall would light up with colorful graphics and music as couples walked by, inviting them to input their names. The couples were then treated to Coke cans imprinted with their names.

Turning storefronts into 24-hour shopping experiences
eBay has rented out storefronts in a San Francisco mall and turned them into giant touchscreens for shoppers. Customers can browse through items they would like to buy using the screens and their smartphones. Adidas has also turned a storefront in Nuremberg, Germany into a digital shop window, allowing customers to evaluate and purchase merchandise even when the store is closed.
With live-action advertisements becoming a popular way to engage consumers, more companies are turning to performance-enhancing content delivery networks (CDNs) to be sure their customers get the most out of these creative digital media projects. CDNs help deliver the rich media content used in interactive digital signage without downtime caused by lack of bandwidth, allowing for a faster and more reliable audience experience. Their on-demand, instantly scalable bandwidth makes it easy to implement in these fluctuating projects or for longer digital media campaigns.
Because these digital campaigns only have a couple of seconds to dazzle and wow consumers, they must always be performing optimally and cannot afford any lagging or downtime.
Image source: Flickr