Vehicle Recognition Technology w/ Renault

Maddie Cotterill

Ocean today has unveiled a step change in the way advertisers can target drivers using pioneering out of home vehicle recognition technology.

Renault Ocean HPR Vehicle Recognition 470

Developed and tested over the past 12 months, vehicle recognition rolls out for the first time with a campaign featuring the All-New Renault Mégane.

Vehicle recognition uses cameras positioned at Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) sites facing stationary traffic to identify the make, model and colour of stationary vehicles from their number plates and then serves the driver and passengers content which is based on specific audience demographics and data relevant to that vehicle.

All vehicle details are matched with an anonymised vehicle specification database which does not store or record any personal data.

The pioneering technology offers brands highly defined targeting and greater efficiency than standard out-of-home play-out, hitting core target audiences with zero wastage.

Real-time activation allows for dynamic delivery based on an environmental trigger. Brands only pay for play-outs when a target vehicle is stationary at the traffic lights.

Ocean head of screen investment Kevin Henry told us “Vehicle recognition is a progressive technology integrated into digital out of home which optimises and innovates the way brands connect with target audiences. This pioneering system identifies and accesses valued audiences in real-time and there are a range of ways it can be deployed: it can serve adverts for a new model of the same car, or it can be leveraged to launch a new product that’s relevant to a particular driver demographic.”

Based on the popular car journey game, I-Spy, the campaign for the All-New Renault Mégane was created by Publicis and planned through Talon and Manning Gottlieb OMD.

Colette Casey, Brand Communications Manager, Renault UK, said “The technology really pushes the boundaries, enabling us to showcase the All-New Mégane in an engaging and unique way versus the rest of our extensive outdoor campaigns. Our aspirations are not only about showing a stylish image of the All-New Mégane, but to speak to customers in a fun and friendly way which we are doing through one of the UK’s most popular car journey games – I Spy. What is also particularly clever about vehicle recognition technology is that it allows us to speak directly to drivers, something we haven’t been able to do before in roadside out of home.”

Vehicle recognition is now live in London at Ocean’s landmark Holland Park Roundabout location, with plans to install the technology on other key DOOH road facing sites in Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle this year to reach affluent commuters and shoppers.

Vehicle Recognition how it works:-

  • Once a vehicle stops at the traffic lights, cameras monitor the stationary traffic in each lane.
  • Cameras detect the vehicle’s number plate and the technology matches it with the anonymised vehicle specification database and pulls out the make, model and colour of the stationary vehicle.
  • Once the target vehicle is detected, the Vehicle Recognition Technology triggers a corresponding creative to be served in real-time.
  • The sophisticated platform delivers a post campaign report every time the ad is triggered (time stamped confirming a vehicle’s presence, day-part delivery breakdown and proof of play-out).

The All-New Renault Mégane, the fourth generation of the French car manufacturer’s popular family hatchback, goes on sale in the UK from July.


2 Responses to “Vehicle Recognition Technology w/ Renault”

  1. Nick Coston Says:

    What tech company is doing the vehicle recognition for them? Are they doing this in house or 3rd party? How many locations? Thanks

  2. Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief Says:

    Ocean are using a third party data source for the vehicle information (as per the release) and they have developed the ability to integrate the feed into their CMS (Scala) playlist in house. Currently one location, Holland Park Roundabout, has three cameras targeting the oncoming three lanes and we understand that Ocean are in the process of rolling out to at least three others.

    The links below have a little more about the plans and a high level understanding of how the process works.

    http://www.oceanoutdoor.com/technology/#vehicle-recognition-technology

    http://www.oceanoutdoor.com/ocean-news/case-studies/ocean-introduces-pioneering-vehicle-recognition-technology-with-renault-partnership/

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