Czech carmaker Skoda took commuters for an augmented-reality and digital signage ride recently at London’s Waterloo Station.
While the experience really was more of a chance for the curious to see how they’d look in a new Skoda Fabia than an actual or even virtual “test drive,” the engagment showcased a creative blend of technologies, using interactive digital signage kiosks, augmented reality and green screen technologies, and digital signage to take people for a ride.
Skoda Cars worked with media agency MediaCom, interactive agency Enigma and advertising specialist JCDecaux for the experiential event earlier this month that saw commuters sitting on a car seat in front of a green screen and then having their videoed image displayed on the terminal’s giant digital signage screen. Tying together a busy location, computer tablets in secure enclosures, a state-of-the-art app, augmented reality, social media and one of Europe’s largest advertising screens, the campaign combined traditional user participation with contemporary digital tech.
Interested passersby would choose from various options presented by tablet-based apps, and once that processed could then sit on a car seat in front of a green screen. The videoed image of the user, sitting in an augmented reality car was then displayed up on the giant screens around the station. This could be sent out via the users’ social media contacts but also became an opportunity for a highly original selfie, according to an announcement from tablet kiosk provider image HOLDERS.
Enigma co-founder Andy Newman said in the announcement, “For this campaign we’re fusing real-time AR technology with a specially-designed app. Members of the public will have the chance to design their own car from scratch in real time on tablets secured in ergonomic iPad kiosks. This truly expresses the art of customer control as we see their creation literally build around them on Europe’s largest advertising screen.”
According to imageHOLDERS, the next important stage was engaging potential users to participate in the on-line “configurator.” The essential thing at this point was making the tablet secure but presentable in a very busy environment. This was accomplished with iPads secured in the company’s freestanding tablet kiosk stands positioned around the event.
“The event was a huge success with a great many commuters and visitors enjoying the experience of seeing themselves up on the big screens in a car configured by themselves,” the company said on its website. Digital SignageToday (Cover image courtesy of imageHOLDERS.)
Watch a video about the deployment below:
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