Five ways to bring advertising to life in the internet of things Posted on : Jul 28 - 2015

The digital advertising industry is already undergoing something of a transformation. While facing an existential threat from the ascendant ad blocker, advertisers are leading the charge to create ever more tailored advertising experiences.

The proliferation of connected devices under the internet of things (IoT) promises to disrupt the industry further by increasing the number of opportunities for advertisers to learn about and sell to consumers.

This is a developing tactic that will no doubt grow in its complexity and ability to interact and harvest consumer data. British Airway’s smart billboard ad in Piccadilly Circus, London wowed passersby in 2012 as a small boy reacted to overhead planes in real time, promoting the flights and their current destinations. The billboard has been a rich source of ideas since. Jung von Matt/Limmat AG’s live billboard to capture the attention of busy Zurich commuters for Graubünden tourism is fun and clever but using interactivity and connectivity to engage consumers has to develop further, to capture data and enable advertisers to hone messages and methodologies.

For example, Lexus Australia caused a stir down under with its campaign to attract car drivers with personalised messages on an overhead billboard and US retailer Forever 21 used an ingenious thread screen to turn customer selfies into threaded pictures in store. Good examples of interaction but still lacking in connectivity.  View more