Since seeing so many new technologies when I visited FESPA Digital 2014 in May, there has been one that has really stood out in my mind. One exhibitor was displaying a new POS display, which can determine your gender (although it did think I was a man at first – awkward!), your approximate age (young adult – yay!), the duration you looked at the display as well as judging how interested your face appeared.
I have to admit, this all seems a bit Orwellian to me. I wonder, where it will end – will my microwave know what I fancy for breakfast? Will my makeup drawer select the most appropriate shades for the climate that day? Will my car start to drive me to work? Actually…those last two would definitely improve my morning grump face.
I recently noticed that when I Googled a particular brand, they almost immediately popped up as a ‘Suggested Page’ on my Facebook, which just goes to show how information we digest online is becoming more and more integrated.
The fact is, visual communication for advertising is changing rapidly. Advertisers and brands no longer have to rely on us passing a billboard, or thumbing through a magazine, but instead are seeking out new technologies that will lead us to them, instead of the other way around.
As a member of the digital generation, I’m aware that my attention span for these things is very limited. I want my information now, then I want to share it, tweet it, pin it, upload it, and maybe put a Nashville filter on it.
Brands want a slice of my attention span, and new interactive advertising such as Google +Post for the new Toyota Corolla, singing the Canadian national anthem in order to get some ice cold beer, or (one for the teenage boys admittedly) bringing “Angel” Kelly Brook down from Heaven…I’m looking forward to seeing what personalised content I will receive in the future.