A billboard that can identify the age and gender of passers-by, then offer custom advertising according to their demographic, is already up and running in Japan. NEC Japan has been testing the digital billboard technology in major shopping centers over the past year. The American arm of NEC is preparing to bring them to the U.S. this year.
The people watching billboards have had mixed reactions. Many allude to a scene in the film, Minority Report in which Tom Cruise's character is scanned by ad generating billboards as he walks through a futuristic mall--you can see a clip in the video above.
Frightening or not, what was recently a sci-fi future of scan responsive targeted advertising has arrived.
People Watching Billboards
Signs Scan Faces to Target Ads to Audience
Trend Themes
1. Facial Recognition Billboards - The rise of facial recognition technology in outdoor advertising opens potential opportunities for companies in the marketing and technology industries to improve customer targeting.
2. Hyper-targeted Digital Advertising - The use of facial recognition in advertising allows for hyper-targeted campaigns based on demographic data which could revolutionize marketing practices for all related industries.
3. Privacy and Security Concerns - With the increasing development of facial recognition technology, industries must address and respond to privacy and security concerns with consumers.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - The advertising industry has the potential to adapt to facial recognition technology by offering hyper-targeted campaigns and refining customer targeting.
2. Technology - Facial recognition technology could lead to potential future developments for the technology industry in terms of improved accuracy and security.
3. Privacy and Security - As industries and governments implement facial recognition technology, there is a growing need for industries related to privacy and security to address concerns and develop solutions.