Ads embedded in images projected onto floors and walls of public spaces like malls and stadiums are not new. But the introduction of sound provides another dimension to ads that consumers can already see and touch. 

To find out how to get consumers to play with your client’s message, read on.

This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.

Fast Facts

What
Sound-enhanced interactive ads projected on floors and walls in venues that hold large crowds.

Who
Monster Media, headquartered in Lake Mary, Fla.

How it works
Interactive ads are projected on floors and walls of public spaces. Sound is a new feature.

“The sound component brings another side to the visual,” says president John Payne.

The video projection on the floor is 8 feet by 10 feet and on a wall is 30 feet by 6 feet. The projection equipment is installed in the ceiling. The idea is to let consumers take control of the ad. A wave of a hand can change the color of a projected car model in an automotive ad. The technology can also turn an ad into a game where consumers race a car or putt golf balls.

Creative is a joint effort between the advertiser and Monster Media’s designers. “The client gives us assets, their logo, and we start building,” Payne says. “It’s all online.”

An ad for the Orlando Science Center consisted of images of tarantulas that kids could let crawl over them or they could stamp out, says Dennis Nikles, media director of Fry Hammond Barr in Orlando. “Children gravitate to it, and while the kids are playing, the parents are watching and get the message.”

An advertiser’s message can change several times within a time period.

“When a client is targeting multiple demographics, like say McDonald’s, at the peak time for moms at the mall with kids, the ad can be game-related and later change to different creative for teens,” Payne says.

There are also portable units that can be leased for trade shows and conferences. Sound is optional. Campaigns usually run six months to a year, Payne says. Multiple advertisers can place 30-second ads in a seven and one half minute loop.

Markets
Current markets include Anaheim, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Daytona, Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville, Memphis, Miami Beach, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Juan, Seattle, Tampa, Baltimore, Houston, Knoxville, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Columbia, S.C., Lexington, Ky., and Tuscaloosa Ala. Venues include Anaheim’s Angels Stadium, Atlanta’s Philips Arena, The Chicago Theatre, Daytona USA and Miami Beach Convention Center.

GroundFX is also available in the United Kingdom and Brazil.

How it is measured
“All venues, from sports to malls to performing arts centers, have traffic counts,” Payne says. When promotions direct consumers to an advertiser’s web site, data collected there can also be used. Additionally, advertisers can monitor customers’ reaction by web camera.

What product categories do well
Automotive, electronics, entertainment, fast food, grocery retail, restaurants, cellular service, cable service, pharmaceuticals and insurance are popular, Payne says.

Some venues have existing product exclusivity contracts and affiliations. “If it’s a Ford building we’re not going to put a Toyota in there,” Payne says.

Demographics
Groups can be targeted by location or type of venue.

Patrons of performing arts centers have the following characteristics, according to data provided to Monster Media by Live Nation, a Los Angeles live content and distribution firm:
-Median age is 44
-Average annual household income is $119,155
-Investments are owned by 85 percent
-69 percent own two or more cars
-78 percent dine out before or after attending the theater
-68 percent are professional or in management

Amphitheater and concert venue audiences share these characteristics, according to Live Nation:
-Gender is 55 percent male, 45 percent female
-Median age is 33
-Average annual household income is $69,000
-50 percent have attended college
-55 percent are married
-59 percent are professional or in management

Shopping mall visitors share these characteristics, according to a 2002 Scarborough study provided by Monster Media:
-Median age is 35
-Average annual household income is $70,750
-Gender is 59 percent female
-Average purchase is $93
-Frequency of visits is two to five per month.

Making the buy
Lead time is three to four days for an ad that’s projection-ready. The timeframe is longer when new creative is developed, Payne says.

“McDonald’s wanted a McFlurry with M&M’s swirling in the air before dropping into the cup. That took three weeks. It depends on how complex it is.”

Factors that affect cost include number of venues, type of venues and length of campaign. Creative services are additional.

Who’s already projected on to floors and walls
McDonald’s, Verizon, GM, Duracell, Pfizer, Florida Lottery, Comcast, Mercedes-Benz, Coors, Starbucks Coffee, Geico, Pepsi, Spirit Airlines, Gillette and MasterCard have used the projected ads.

What they’re saying
“It’s so unusual and so interactive. People respond with delight, fascination, luster. They’re absolutely taken with it. We’ve had three very different events since it was installed and three very different kinds of audiences – rock and rollers, urban youth and baby boomers – all looking at these advertisements and all met them with the same curiosity and interest.” – Karen Vock, vice president of marketing for The Chicago Theatre

Web site info
Monster Media at www.monstermedia.net

Etc.
See “Your client’s face on the mall floor” in the Media Life archives, December 1, 2003