Inwindow turning people into Na'vi at LA mall

April 22, 2010 by Dave Haynes

Inwindow Outdoor continues to do some of the most interesting work in this sector, and they have carved out a nice niche doing interactive street-level projection and screen work. Wisely, they have tapped the big budgets and great visuals of Hollywood studios. Never met these guys but I have a LOT of time for what they do. Very clever.

You can watch a video of the crowd interaction here …

The latest thing they are up to is an interactive project humping the Blu-ray DVD release tomorrow of Avatar, that little sci-fi flick that’s made a few bucks since it came out last year.

With this one, people line up and stand in front of a screen that has an embedded camera. Software quickly maps the face and morphs that person into a big-eyed and blue Na’vi.

Reports Marketing Vox (thanks Pat Hellberg for flagging):

In advance of the April 22 release of n DVD and Blu-ray, The Grove shopping mall in Los Angeles has unveiled an interactive exhibit which turns passers-by into blue-skinned Na’vi from the film using facial recognition software.

The free-standing structure is comprised of multiple digital screens and centrally located at the famous L.A. mall. It uses customized technology developed in-house by  Inwindow Outdoor to morph the faces, writes MediaBuyerPlanner.

As shoppers approach the screens, Inwindow’s technology captures their image and transforms them into a Na’vi. Once the morph is complete, users can enter their email address via touch-screen to be sent a video of their transformation along with information on where to purchase the Blu-ray disc.

The display was created in conjunction with FOX Studios and Zenith Media. It launched at The Grove on last Friday and will run for one month.

Shades of this campaign can be seen in the smart digital signs some retailers are starting to deploy, that make it possible to assess the shopper before them to determine age, gender and even body type, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The technology allows advertisers to tailor and customize ads in entirely new ways with accompanying mirrors and image analysis technology that can figure out a person’s size and then show only ads of clothes that would flatter or fit the person.

They can also serve as on-the-spot providers of raw analytics, conveying back to retailers.

In the vid there are a lot of people taking snappies of themselves beside the screen, but I like how you can get a video sent to you. A nice reward plus the user has just opted in with the marketer.

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