Inwindow Turns Subway Corridor Into Interactive Dog Park (w/video)

May 4, 2012 by Dave Haynes

The guys at Inwindow Outdoor have used the big 64-foot wall of interactive windows in New York’s Columbus Circle subway station for another intriguing interactive digital campaign, this one for Beneful Brand Dogfood.

It is part of a Play campaign that launched this week and includes five interactive dog parks in cities around the country, including the stretch of glass at the subway stop – the same one used for the multiple award-winning Asics campaign involving a marathon runner.

Says the release:

The Play campaign was created by Fallon Minneapolis, Beneful’s Agency of Record. The agency launched Beneful’s first ever brand “Anthem” in mid-March. The commercial, told from the perspective of a dog at play, was followed shortly by a series of spots centered on Beneful’s dog food and new line of dog snacks. All of the work in the campaign focuses on the importance of play to dogs and owners – encouraging pet owners to be happier by making time for play.

“I think our team struck on a universal truth,” said Mike Buchner, Fallon’s CEO.  “We can all use more play in our day. That’s why every aspect of this campaign, from the anthem spot to the great installation work, rings so true with pet owners. Each is a simple reminder that playing isn’t just good for our dogs, it’s good for us.”

For the digital installations, Fallon worked closely with Inwindow Outdoor in New York, who designed feature 3D cameras and gesture recognition technology for the project. Inwindow’s digital team and Fallon’s designers created the displays to encourage busy residents of NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Louis to customize a puppy playmate and play fetch with the signature Beneful tennis ball. The dogs have a robust artificial intelligence that allows them to show a variety of emotion while being playful. They will respond in life-like ways, including pawing at the screen, rolling in the grass and encouraging users to interact.

At the end of the play session, users can take a photo with their virtual dog, send it to their phone, and share it on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

“To our knowledge, no one in the advertising world has ever created a digital screen this size and with this level of interactivity,” said Steve Birnhak, CEO of Inwindow Outdoor, who also partnered with CBS Outdoor on the project. “For one month, the wall will be a can’t-miss, can’t ignore highlight of one of the busiest subway stations in the world and we’re excited to watch weary subway riders take a minute out of their day to have some fun.”

Nice. Though it reinforces public-based gestures is not only limited to people who don’t mind looking silly in front of others, but also to those with lots of experience with Kinect.

You can get a running commentary from this New Yorker who ran into this and shot some video:

[youtube id=”GQljGbFn6tw” width=”600″ height=”350″]

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