Ad responds to interest

With advertisers constantly looking for new ways to engage with a public bombarded by advertising, a Waikato University student may have hit on a way to arouse potential consumers' curiosity.

Third-year bachelor of computer graphic design student Marc McHardy has developed what he calls "the better interactive poster" for his final degree show, which is on this week.

"What I've tried to do is to engage the viewer and create a stronger connection with the brand being advertised."

While electronic advertising stands are already appearing in shopping malls and public places, Mr McHardy says they do not maximise the potential of the available technology.

"I wanted to do something interactive for my degree show project and break out of the mould," he said.

His posters use three cameras embedded in the display to sense motion, triggering three levels of response from his advertisement.

Three short animations are triggered by movement through zones as a person walks towards the "poster".

Once the person is close enough, a camera within the screen tracks the movement of their face from side to side and triggers the response, allowing them to virtually enter the 3D world of his "product", customised high-top sneakers he branded himself for the show.

"It is like a window," he said.

While he has not signed any contracts yet, there has already been some interest in his concept.

The time and cost associated with such an advertisement depended entirely on what the client wanted and how interactive they wanted it to be, he said.

Digital advertising was gaining popularity in the public environment and was likely to become much more common.

"I think it is something we will see a lot more of ... [but] when it is done well, you don't really notice it as much."

Having finished all of his papers and looking forward to graduating next year, Mr McHardy is now looking to start his career in advertising and branding – preferably somewhere that will allow him to use a wide range of skills.

The University of Waikato degree had seemed to Mr McHardy to be the most forward-thinking of the various advertising-based courses he had looked at.

"A computer-based course seemed to be the right direction."

- © Fairfax NZ News