An article found on www.mashable.com discusses what the
future holds in the advertising industry, specifically with digital displays. I
was drawn to it because we just discussed this topic in class the other day and
learned about the array of possibilities that could be available to the
industry. Hockenson starts off the article with, “When you think ‘display of
the future,’ what pops into your head? Is it the hyper-neon displays of Blade Runner or the holograms from Star
Wars? …(2012)” It is interesting that these ideas from films are actually in
the process of entering the industry and our daily lives.
An example the article gives is called a Virtual Assistant,
which would be located in airports to help passengers know the protocols and
warnings of the airlines. The screen, which is similar to a hologram, is cut
into the shape of a person, and the display shows a woman speaking, moving her arms
and moving her mouth while giving instructions to viewers. Virtual Assistants
have already been placed at airports in Frankfurt, Dubai, and Washington D.C.
(Hockenson, 2012). This is especially helpful for a digital display to be
programed to speak multiple languages as incoming flights land at the airports
from all over the world. Below is a video of the Virtual Assistant in action.
Moving onto the retail side of advertisement, Hockenson
introduces readers to “MicroTiles,” which are small screens that display images
to make a larger image and can be arranged into any order (2012). This allows
images to be very large and make a greater impact on shoppers to engage and
attract them into stores. Going even bolder, there is now a flexible screen
called Flexible Organic LED, which can shape around objects to create a visual.
Even putting digital information on lampposts is now possible. “Intellistreets”
are lampposts that digitally display information and have been placed in small
towns of California and Michigan. The lampposts have cameras in them as well to
help keep people safe in the neighborhood (Hockenson, 2012). The art of digital
displays is constantly evolving.
In conclusion, digital displays are an up and coming way to
get people’s attention and help them engage in what you are selling or what
your business is trying to convey. They are taking many forms and sizes, but
digital displays are definitely going to be a large part of the future
advertising industry and a large part of our daily lives.
References
Hbaskas. (2012, June 25). Boston Logan Airport's Virtual Assistant - Carla [Video file].
Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D5Go_XtY30
Hockenson, Lauren. (2012, June 13). Bright Lights, Big City:
The Future of Digital Display is
Stunning. Mashable.
Retrieved from: http://mashable.com/2012/06/13/future-digital-
