Looking Good Today, Chicagoist

By Timmy Watson in News on Jan 13, 2007 9:00PM

As advertising increasingly becomes interwoven into our daily lives and our souls we predict digital advertising will be more and more popular in 2007. One of the first introductions in the new year will be by MINI USA. The interactive digital billboards will be located in Chicago, New York, Miami, and San Fransisco and will feature personalized messages to drivers as they near the billboard.

We find Mini Coopers adorable, but there is this cult like influence it seems to give owners. There are all sorts of Cooper clubs and message boards where it's all Mini all the time. The program will require owners to sign up, once they are signed up MINI USA will send and RFID chip that the drivers will keep in their cars. As they approach the billboards, a message will pop up, one sample on the site says, "Looking good today, Scooter."

Aside from the privacy concerns, this introduces us to a new Minority Report type of advertising. According to The New York Times, there are currently 400 digital billboards across the country and that number is expected to rise to 4,000 by 2017. Companies are consistently trying to outdo competitors by really "grabbing" your attention. With rotating images, and an almost television like appearance, this will give you one more thing to divert your attention from driving.

In addition to the increase in interactive advertising, there will also most likely be more so-called "out of home" advertising. Out of home advertising is second only to internet advertising in growth rates. This means more subway and office building ads are on the way. Coming soon, interactive Google ads on buses touting courses on real estate investment.

Image via Ko(char*)hook