DailyDOOH

For once this is a REAL digital out of home ‘world first’ as Ocean Outdoor, Women’s Aid and WCRS collaborate an an interactive campaign where the attention of people looking at the digital billboard triggers an immediate change in the actual creative!

If this sounds familiar to you it is because domestic violence charity Women’s Aid received the Interactive Category First Prize for this idea at Ocean Outdoor’s Art of Outdoor Digital Competition held October 9, 2014.

The campaign is cleverly timed to coincide with International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8th and premieres on Thursday, March 5th at Ocean’s full motion Canary Wharf screen in London and then rolls out to the Birmingham Bullring and Westfield London on March 7th and 8th.

The creative, by the leading London advertising agency WCRS, raises awareness of the how domestic violence charity Women’s Aid saves lives and the initiative is supported on Channel 4 with a specially introduced 30 second prime time TV spot designed to amplify the message during the centre break of brand new drama Indian Summers on Sunday, March 8th. The spot, which is voiced by Women’s Aid Patron Julie Walters, is repeated at 7.20pm the following day in Channel 4 News’ ad break.

WCRS worked with famed photographer Rankin, a long-time supporter of Women’s Aid, Ocean and posthouse Smoke and Mirrors to create the interactive billboard which shows the image of a bruised woman with the simple imperative, ‘Look at me’.

The creative employs a unique use of Quividi’s facial recognition technology which allows the interactive billboards to recognise when people actively pay attention to an image of a bruised woman. Those who look at the billboard get feedback via a live video feed that runs along the bottom of the ad as a visual ticker-tape, registering an increasing number of viewers.

As more people take notice of the image of the women, her bruises slowly heal, demonstrating to passers-by that by actually taking notice they can help confront the signs of domestic violence by not turning a blind eye.

Ocean CEO Tim Bleakley told us “This is powerful stuff. The link between our premium screens as a live and changing canvas to publicly address an issue that often goes unreported demonstrates the dynamic capability of digital out of home to amplify an incredibly important issue. The TV spots on Channel 4 will promote the importance of the message and the work of Women’s Aid.”

Ross Neil, creative director at WCRS, said: “We are proud to be the first agency to demonstrate cause and effect to audiences by using facial recognition technology in this large-scale billboard format. The simplicity of the advert’s wording and image implicates passers-by in their inactivity before the advanced technology demonstrates how they personally can make a change in the fight against domestic violence by engaging with it.”

Charity ambassadors at Canary Wharf, Eat Street, Westfield London and Birmingham New Street will provide on the spot information and drive social media interaction using SMS and Tweets to encourage people to make a charity donation. Charity ambassadors at Canary Wharf, Eat Street, Westfield London and Birmingham New Street will provide on the spot information and drive social media interaction using SMS and Tweets to encourage people to make a charity donation.

In awarding the WCRS/Women’s Aid campaign the Interactive Award in Ocean’s annual Art of Outdoor competition 2014, the judging panel said: “This campaign figures out how many people are looking at the screen – and the longer you look at it the more it changes. This has not been done before. So, paying attention has a positive effect. It’s very clever.”

Full credits:
Client: Women’s Aid
Agency: WCRS
Creative Director: Ross Neil
Creative Technology: Dino Burbidge
Creatives: Mike Whiteside and Ben Robinson
Agency Producer: Sam Child
Account Handling: Torie Wilkinson and Katherine Morris
Planning: Stuart Williams
Photography: Rankin
Media: Ocean, Channel 4
Posthouse: Smoke & Mirrors

Well it’s been 18 months since the last great hiring frenzy that Samsung went through in the AV and digital signage industry and so it’s about that time, that many, if not all of them were laid off.  News is filtering in that between 18 and 20 people have just been let go – Jeremy Kolieb (who had such a nice / cosy gig at Westfield) has definitely gone and possibly also Linda Hofflander (the former joined almost exactly 18 months ago, the latter was walking round #dse2013 with a newly minted Samsung badge.

Normally we have sympathy with those laid off but in this instance, as it’s well known that Samsung buy up competitor’s employees, subsume their rolodex and then ditch them, they (said employees) should have known better and we can only say they have likely got what they deserved.

The layoffs may in fact be well timed – as all those ex-consultants and Samsung’s (display) competitors who took the Korean Won, can now walk the floor in Lost Wages next week at #dse2015 looking for their next sinecure.

This 50 square metre D3 LED screen from Forrest Media is the newest digital screen in Newcastle and the second, we believe for the city (Forrest Media’s digital billboard on the A167M underpass is the other one).

Virgin Trains East Coast is the solus advertiser thanks to Talon Outdoor and MG-OMD.

‘Toca-me se Pudere’ or ‘Touch me if you Can’ was launched last week by MOP and TOMIWorld on all 38 TOMI units in Lisbon.

It consists of a ‘tapping’ interactive competition that can be played by one or two people playing each other on the same TOMI or you can compete with another person in a different TOMI!

Each player has 40 seconds to test their reflexes against an opponent and try to be one the top five players in Lisbon! The data is collected in real time showing results on screen as the game is happening.

The TOMI network was launched in Lisbon in November 2014.

The Digital Signage Federation, the independent not-for-profit trade organization serving the digital signage industry, has joined United for Patent Reform as a founding member.

The US-based coalition, initially spearheaded by the National Retail Federation, is comprised of major trade associations and major U.S. corporations, who believe that American business, large and small, are being held hostage by patent trolls, and to address patent reform across industries.

Technology UFPR Coalition members already include: Amazon.com, Facebook, Vizio, Adobe, Dell, Google, Intuit, Cisco, Oracle, California Technology Council, Patent Fairness Coalition, Application Developers Alliance, Computer Communications Industry Association, Internet Association, Sabre, Consumer Electronics Association and others.

The full membership list and more information on the coalition is available to view here.

United for Patent Reform supports seven primary issues of patent reform, focused primarily on issues of misleading and predatory patent litigation by patent assertion entities, otherwise known as ‘patent trolls’:

• Reforming abusive demand letters;
• Making trolls explain their claims;
• Protecting innocent customers;
• Making patent litigation more efficient;
• Stopping discovery abuses;
• Making abusive trolls pay;
• Providing less expensive alternatives.

The coalition will provide member companies and organizations tools to help promote understanding and common sense changes in the area of patent litigation. These resources are to include sample letters, whitepapers, legislation tracking, and aggregated news gathering. The DSF will aggregate and disseminate applicable information to members through an opt-in process. The federation will also inform members on ways to volunteer with the DSF to support this effort.

Brian Gorg, DSF executive director, says, “Opening up a competitive marketplace that rewards innovation and entrepreneurship is important for both users and suppliers of digital signage services, which is why DSF leadership has authorized membership in this coalition in support of reform in regulation and legislation.”

Ken Goldberg, 2015 DSF chairman, says, “Patent reform continues to be a topic of immense interest for the members of the DSF. Abuse of the patent system by various patent assertion entities (sometimes called ‘trolls’) has led to disruptions in the normal course of activities in our marketplace, hampered innovation and caused a misdirection of capital. Our membership is made up of many small to medium sized businesses which are often the target of these non-practicing entities.”

See DailyDOOH’s interview with Goldberg on the industry stance on patent trolls and DSF’s own role in dealing with them.

No business – large or small – is immune from this problem. 66% of companies targeted by trolls have annual revenues of less than $100 million. 55% have annual revenues of $10 million or less. Almost any organization that employs technology is being affected.

Zoom Media, New York, believed to be the world’s largest fitness digital media company, has gained an exclusive long-term media and advertising agreement with 24 Hour Fitness, a major health club industry pioneer.

24 Hour Fitness has appointed Zoom as its exclusive third-party representative for all advertising placed within 24 Hour Fitness clubs, including digital signage, television programming, overhead sound, and product sampling.

“Zoom’s capabilities will help us deliver a great in-club experience to our members with content that educates and inspires them to enjoy the rewards of a fit and healthy lifestyle,” said Steve Schillinger, senior vice- president, Club Experience, 24 Hour Fitness. “We’re looking forward to bringing members world-class training and nutrition advice, fashion and travel ideas from 24LIFE, our new digital magazine – when and where it’s most relevant.”

Concurrent with Zoom’s redefined identity as Zoom Active Lifestyle Marketing, the agreement with 24 Hour Fitness further solidifies Zoom’s dedication to reaching the active lifestyle consumer.

Zoom has long recognized the value of health clubs’ active, health-conscious members. With the addition of 24 Hour Fitness, Zoom now has established relationships with the largest and fastest growing health clubs in the United States and hundreds of smaller chains and independent clubs. Access to health clubs at this unprecedented scale provides Zoom and advertisers the opportunity to interact with highly engaged and receptive consumers.

Zoom not only reaches a powerful audience, but a large one as well. The new agreement with 24 Hour Fitness allows Zoom to reach 25 million active lifestyle consumers with more than 102 million estimated impressions (as measured by Nielsen).

“This is just super news for us.” François de Gaspé Beaubien, CEO and chairman of Zoom Media, said this morning (Wed., Feb.4/15). “This agreement increases our audience size and the national coverage clients seek. We are thrilled to be partnering with such a premier fitness provider as 24 Hour Fitness.”

Zoom’s consolidation of the health club space simplifies media buys and expands the reach to active lifestyle consumers. Zoom’s focus on integrated media and consumer experience diversifies the ways brands can engage consumers. As health club members frequent the gym to enhance their bodies, brands can grow with these driven consumers who strive to accomplish their lifelong goals. Zoom’s exclusive long-term agreement with 24 Hour Fitness helps make health clubs the pre-eminent network for reaching one of the most desired audiences.

Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., 24 Hour Fitness serves over 4 million members in more than 400 clubs across the U.S. For more than 30 years, the company has been dedicated to helping members change their lives and reach their individual fitness goals. With convenient club locations, it offers personal training services, popular group exercise classes and a variety of strength, cardio and functional training equipment.

It’s always nice to learn of a human interest story in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of business, and this one involving Norcross, Georgia-based NanoLumens is no exception.

Rick Cope, NanoLumens CEO, values service more than anything else. Before he became a hard-charging successful tech industry CEO, Cope served for more than 20 years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps in a career that concluded with him serving as Special Operations Advisor to General Norman Schwarzkopf during the Desert Storm campaign in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq.

So when Cope heard about the Gary Sinise Foundation’s efforts to build a home in Columbus, Georgia, for wounded warrior Mike Schlitz, he knew he had to do something about it.

“I was approached by Joel Berrettini of IT and Media Solutions to see if I could help open up some doors at the major hardware manufacturers we work with,” Cope says. “I knew I had to do something because the new home wouldn’t be complete without some HD television displays.”

That request led to NanoLumens to directly donate three LED HD displays for Schlitz’s new home.

“I can’t thank Rick Cope and NanoLumens enough for helping to complete this very important project,” says Berrettini. “All of us, as Americans, have an obligation to help give something back to the men and women of our Armed Forces who have sacrificed so much to ensure our freedom and way of life. I know that everyone at the Gary Sinise Foundation appreciates what NanoLumens did. They stepped up when we needed their help the most.”

Mark Boidman

#dse2015‘s 12-part Digital Signage Seminar Program designed specifically for end user professionals will include an hour-long interactive session titled ‘Technology Enabled Environments’.

Moderated by Mark Boidman, managing director at Peter J. Solomon Company, this panel discussion will focus on how their respective customer-facing organizations have succeeded in increasing customer engagement. Panelists include:

• Kevin Hunter, COO, Gimbal;
• Shauna Forsythe, president and CEO, Alliance Airport Advertising and Alliance Target Media;
• Todd Swidler, global head of strategic content partnerships, Bloomberg Media Group.

Several DSE Advisory Board members recently recently commented on this timely topic and offered a variety of insights…

Among them, Daniel Orme-Doutre, senior content publishing manager, Microsoft, said, “An ideal evolution in a technology-enabled environment will include multiple seamless competing and supplementary technologies that allow many audiences to tune and control the message, environment and experience without technical knowledge. The experience and control will feel natural, easy and unburdened. The messaging will smoothly and, unobstructed by technology or knowledge levels, land on the appropriate audience. And the messenger will have all the necessary data to evolve the experience.”

Another DSE Advisory Board member Jesse Breidinger, senior shopper marketing manager, The Coca-Cola Company, said, “The standard for 2015 and beyond should look a lot different and more enhanced to keep up with rapidly changing technologies. For example, it should evolve to include flat screens that can connect to computers and phones with touchscreen and Bluetooth capability. Wi-Fi is a must, but most importantly Wi-Fi that you can actually connect to easily. In the future, I can envision a world where the phrase ‘technology-enabled’ is no longer used because it will be the expectation.”

Registration for ‘Technology Enabled Environments’ on March 10, or any of DSE 2015 educational conference seminars, which are sponsored by BroadSign International and are eligible for Digital Signage Expert Group (DSEG) certification renewal credits, is available on the website.

NEC Display Solutions’ Showcase 2015, now in its seventh year, is once again, slap bang in the middle of London Digital Signage Week.

Showcase 2015 has become the UK’s biggest AV and digital signage event of the year and (as it did last year for the first time) will run over two days.

Showcase 2015 takes place Wednesday May 20, 2015 and Thursday May 21, 2015 at Vinopolis in London.

The new UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay in San Francisco has unveiled a dramatic installation that combines donor recognition with education, entertainment, and placemaking to create a compelling experience for hospital supporters, patients, families, and staff.

The medical center, working with digital media consultant Sensory Interactive, created the installation as an expression of gratitude to the donors who have contributed nearly USD 600 million for the construction of its new USD 1.5 billion children’s, women’s, and cancer hospital complex.

As the centerpiece of the installation, Sensory Interactive developed a 4’ by 13’ interactive wall. The wall features a gesture-controlled ‘attract mode’ that captures the attention of visitors walking past the installation. Then, with their curiosity piqued, visitors can use the wall’s touch-screen capabilities to learn more about donors, and also explore engaging, interactive content about the institution’s hospitals, faculty, staff, and programs. The wall’s sophisticated hardware and software allow it to accommodate multiple simultaneous users along its 13-foot length.

The full installation conceived by Sensory Interactive also includes two non-interactive LCD displays across the corridor from the interactive wall, a variety of static graphic panels, and a custom audio environment, giving the installation an immersive, museum-like feel.

By expanding on the traditional approach to donor recognition, and incorporating a broad range of content and user interactions, the Medical Center and Sensory Interactive created an installation that does much more than just list the names of donors.

Holly Houston, director of communications and donor wall project manager at UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay said “The installation recognizes our tremendously generous donors in a uniquely comprehensive and engaging manner. It is the perfect complement to our new world-class, high-tech hospital.”

Sensory Interactive developed the overall program for the space, designed all system components, specified hardware and software, and created the interactive applications and content. The company also supervised the fabrication, installation, and final commissioning of the elements that make up the complete environment.