In addition to some new search/keyword technologies, Microsoft also took the lid off of some interesting new online video ad technology developed by adCenter Labs. These developments could easily expand advertising options beyond pre-roll and post-roll spots.
Two of the video products are for online video, one intended to capitalize on the video-sharing meme and one that embeds hyperlinks into videos. The third, an interesting answer to Google billboard patent, is an off-Web interactive video platform.
adCenter’s Javascript social video sharing tool allows users to highlight and comment on a specific area of a video frame. This means a football fan could transform himself into John Madden, highlighting where a player stepped out of bounds or was caught sleeping on a block.
Microsoft says other online video sites do not allow labeling on a specific area of the frame. They must not be aware of BubblePly.
adCenter Labs’ first stand-alone product, this tool allows advertisers to embed video hyperlinks within online video ads, say on top of or near where products appear in the video, taking the visitor to a webpage for information or purchase.
Microsoft says video hyperlinks “dramatically reduce the time necessary to generate the digital tracking and information file through use of computer-vision algorithms.” Kohl’s department store is expected to launch a pilot ad this Spring.
Large Display Feedback
This is a technology intended for public, real-world environments. Images on a large display screen can be manipulated by nearby consumers by motions alone. At the same time, the technology measures the size of the audience and determines demographics, making it really, really creepy, but useful.
“A computer-vision algorithm tracks the hand movements of people” as they move their hands in the air to control what is happening on screen. “Face-detection and machine-learning algorithms count the number of people in the audience and predict the gender.
This allows advertisers to engage consumers in public locations as well get a sense of the number and types of people viewing their ads outside of cyberspace.
A precursor to this technology was perhaps developed by digital artist Camille Utterback, whose Text Rain exhibit has been seen by art enthusiasts since 1999, and is currently on display at the 21c Museum in Louisville, Kentucky.
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