Ads Are Coming To Bathroom Mirrors At O'Hare

By Anna Deem in News on Jan 22, 2011 6:45PM

The next time you run to the bathroom before you hop on a plane at O'Hare, be sure to take a peek at the bathroom mirrors. Instead of seeing your own reflection staring back, you will also see advertisements, thanks to Clear Channel Communications Inc. and a North Carolina company called Mirrus. Both companies told the Chicago Tribune that they plan to install the mirrors at several airports across the country, but they are starting at O'Hare--with 150 40-inch mirrors coming to men's and women's bathrooms over the next three months.

So how can you use a mirror if there's an ad across it? The technology displays video or still advertisements across the whole mirror when no one is standing at the sink. As soon as someone approaches, the ad shrinks into the corner of the mirror. The ads are also gender specific and are hooked up to a network so they can be switched automatically. "We developed these digital displays to provide brands with a platform to convey gender-specific advertisements that are guaranteed to reach female and male audiences in an uncluttered environment," Mirrus Founder Brian Reid said in a press release.