A Conceptual Study of Application of Digital Technology to OOH Advertising: Focused on Extended Reality Technology

VR (Virtual Reality) is a technology that lets you experience the scenes in your computer as if they were real. VR is a mobile device-based technology that expands and shares the five senses of the user so that they can experience realistically difficult situations.

VR users can not only experience certain situations in the virtual space, such as mobile devices, but also interact with them. In short, it is a technology that creates a virtual interface between humans and computers. VR is often experienced through 360-degree video, but VR does not mean 360-degree video.

It is mainly realized in entertainment areas such as amusement parks and games, but is expected to expand to non-entertainment areas such as education.

(1) Technology properties

Technical characteristics of VR include immersion and interaction, restoration and generation[5].

First, induce immersion through visualization. realistic visualization technology. Present the virtual reality to the user so that they can see and experience it directly to the immersion. To this end, various visualization device technologies such as projection and image visualization technology SW are supported.

Second, it draws sense and interaction. Allow participants to interact with the world of virtual reality based on the five senses of the user. To this end, motion-based simulators, VR participants' location tracking, tactile, haptic, olfactory and taste related technologies are supported.

Third, create and restore the impossible world. It is possible to create a world that is impossible in reality, such as the past or the future, in virtual reality, and use it to simulate and interact with it. Virtual reality participants immerse themselves in the visible world and participate in scenarios. Based on this, you can experience contents that transcend construction such as military, medical, and education. The technology is mainly used to create virtual reality environments based on 360-degree panoramic images and reconstructions.

(2) Applied cases

VR technology is widely used in mobile advertising these days. For example, the contents look different depending on the angle of tilting or touching the smartphone to turn 360 degrees. When shooting, it is made using 360 ° technique, and the user can select the spot to see up, down, left, and right while rotating the screen. Including the Nike Hypervenom II commercial in 360-degree video format, the Santa Claus experience produced by Coca-Cola (Poland), the displaced app of the New York Times, the refrigerator of the cheese company Boursin, and the Japan Nature Experience Museum Yokohama Obi (ORBI) VR theme park.

At the 2015 Cannes ad, Google won the Mobile Grand Prix for Cardboard VR. The 360˚ VR advertisement presented by the Korean marriage information company Duo is also eye-catching. By looking around the male protagonist in the commercial, he conveys the concept that 'a good relationship may be around you.'(Fig. 2).

Fig. 2.

Yokohama ORBI VR theme park(Left), Duo's 360˚ VR ad(Right)

In addition, Topshop, a clothing brand, had store customers wear 360-degree cameras and watch the Topshop fashion show in real-time elsewhere. VR makes consumers aware of the brand and helps them make purchases on site by giving them a vivid brand experience.

As such, the proportion of content combined with 360-degree video has increased recently. 360-degree video content is realistic because you can experience the scenes in the video to be realistic. Increasingly, VR contents such as performance videos, travel, and fitness are being provided through KT's Olleh TV Mobile or LG Uplus's LTE video portal. Device technology and SW development to support this are also continuing. Global IT companies such as Samsung's Gear VR, Sony's PlayStation VR, Google's Google Glass, Facebook's Oculus Rift, Microsoft's HoloLens, and LG's VR HMD will be commercializing technology for virtual reality devices and sensors.

There is a fierce competition. The industry is paying attention to virtual reality as the next-generation killer content, and expanding the ecosystem based on 360-degree VR video content service[5].

Recently, real-time video is attracting attention as an important content. YouTube and Facebook are trying to dominate the market by providing real-time broadcast services. In the case of YouTube, for example, some stages of the Los Angeles Rock Festival were broadcast live on 360 degrees. If you use the up, down, left, and right arrow buttons on your PC or move your phone, you can view the performances, sports, etc. in the direction, and enjoy the sense of reality. The advantage is that it provides experiences to users beyond the provision of simple images.

VR was expected to generate KRW 1 trillion in new markets in 2017, and has been still in the early stages of development. VR is highly useful as branded content in that it enhances consumer immersion and experience, or engagement. In order to realize this, technology of the platform, contents, and device fields must be supported. Above all, active investment is needed for the development of various experiential contents.

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that combines virtual information in real time based on reality. In other words, it refers to a technology of superimposing a three-dimensional virtual image on the reality as a single image. Pokemon Go (GO), a mobile augmented reality game based on Google Maps in 2017, can be a good example.

The word 'augmented' means to show another image on the original image. AR includes augmented virtualization and is a technology in which a TUI of a real environment and a virtual environment (virtual reality) are in contact. TGI stands for Tangible User Interface, which is an interface that enables people to touch and feel digital objects(Software Policy Research. 2016).

It was reported that the distance measuring sensor(ToF) was adopted in the domestic Galaxy Note 10 Plus released in 2019 for providing AR and VR content(Korea Economy, August 15, 2019). ToF stands for 'Time of Flight' and is a technology that measures the distance of light flight time. It is often used to measure the depth of objects to implement various content functions such as AR and VR. In the future, three-dimensional subjects such as 3D can be detected through the mobile phone camera.

(1) Technology properties

AR can draw interest and participation from consumers. The main technical characteristics of AR are sensing and tracking, second, image synthesis, and third, real-time augmented reality interaction[6].

First, AR has sensing and tracking technology properties. This is a technology for precisely positioning a virtual object for augmentation in a real space, which is effective for inducing interest of a user.

Second, it refers to a technology of expressing a virtual object smoothly with an image of a real space through image synthesis technology. This is a technique for synthesizing the augmented reality that the user experiences so that there is no gap with the real space.

Third, AR requires real-time augmented reality interaction technology. This refers to a technology that allows augmented reality participants to experience virtual objects synthesized in real space in real time. This can lead to active consumer engagement and interaction.

Fourth, AR is easy to convey additional information about the object. By using interactive features, you can move as you adjust, rather than simply stunning 3D images.

(2) Applied cases

Examples of applying AR in outdoor media or situations include: The weather-linked AR advertisement of the car accessories company Bulls One shows the characteristics of the product according to real-time information. For example, on a rainy day, the display of advertisements on an outdoor billboard can be wiped off with a car wiper to show the road situation clearly, and on a snowy day, the scene is cleared of snow. In other words, the weather information is combined with the virtual scene, and the contents are provided in real time according to the weather information provided by the Meteorological Agency.

Augmented reality, on the other hand, is often used not only in product advertising, but also in outdoor advertising situations such as in combination with online shopping spaces or in ambient (eg Pirelli tires using airport cargo lanes) and digital signage (eg Pepsi Max busshelter ads). In addition, games (e.g. AR.Gun), news reports (e.g. YTN Science), education (e.g. three-dimensional coloring), tourism (e.g. tourist maps), information materials (e.g. LG Smart TV manuals) are utilized. In addition, IKEA has created augmented reality catalogs so that furniture can be placed freely in their rooms when lighted(Fig. 3). In the case of Deutsche Telekom, augmented reality events were conducted through large shopping malls and trees. You can put your own Christmas cards into Christmas tree ornaments in AR with slingshots. It is also anticipated that future game types will be popularized by combining various virtual reality experience devices and game machines.

Fig. 3.

Bulls One's weather-linked AR(Left), IKEA AR catalogs

QR (Quick Response) is a technology that is frequently used when conducting events using a brand application or mobile, and is often used for marketing in connection with online and offline advertising. If you use a QR code recognition application in such as a smartphone or tablet PC to read the QR code, you can access the product's internet site for additional information.

(1) Technology properties

QR codes have the advantage of being able to store a large amount of data compared to existing barcodes while maintaining a small size. Among the QR codes, color codes were the first solution in the United States to evolve from black and white QR codes. The design and recognition speed is much faster than the monochrome QR code.

(2) Applied cases

A typical example is 'Hyundai Motor Media Facade QR Code', which allows you to view the QR code through a large media facade. Classic examples include E-Mart (promotion using the sun and shadow at 12 to 1 o'clock with low sales), Volkswagen (A QR code is attached to the actual Volkswagen car, and the relevant data is searched on the internet as the car drives).

Other examples include Bean Pole, Guinness Beer, and Citibank's QR code. Ford Explorer magazine campaign with augmented reality(AR) and QR code is fun. After opening the app, the smartphone in the magazine ad will move when the smartphone is placed on the car above the magazine.(Fig. 4)

Fig. 4.

Bean Pole QR code(Left), Guinness Beer QR code(Right)

Recently, it is being used in various areas such as theme parks, healthcare, and cultural curation by combining with IoT (Internet of Things) technology such as Bluetooth Beacon based location information.

Since the QR code is eventually linked (connected) to any place, it is also necessary to design a well-linked place (compared to a landing page of a search advertisement) to increase marketing effectiveness.

MR(Mixed Reality) is a concept that encompasses the boundaries between VR and AR. It is a fusion of the immersion of virtual reality and the reality communication characteristics of augmented reality. MR with Hologram are called Mixed Reality.

MR is mainly presented through 3D image content based on hologram technology. Recently Microsoft announced a holographic lens, a holographic device using holographic technology, and explained that hologram technology will be used regardless of VR and AR. MR is a concept defined by Paul Milgram at the University of Toronto in 1994. It can be said that the real environment and the virtual environment are continuous sections. MR is also called the hybrid reality term, and it provides a mixture of real-world physical and virtual environments.

(1) Technology properties

MR service refers to the use of smartphone cameras and virtual characters in mobile environments to show them as if they were in the real world. Pokemon GO is known as an augmented reality game, but it has the characteristics of mixed reality in that virtual images appear as if they are naturally in the real environment through the video of the camera. For example, through the 'Selfie' camera app Snow, you can decorate or transform real-life user's face photos into funny virtual characters and share them. In detail, the five senses technology for the five senses service is based. The five senses technology is a technology that allows you to experience a variety of senses including sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. The main development directions of the five senses technology are as follows[5]. Specifically, an optimized technology that reflects human's cognitive methods such as providing a more natural three-dimensional image and focusing problems has been developed.

In the case of hearing, technology has been developed to express relative direction and speed reflecting a listener's movement. In addition, tactile sensation was previously provided as a dedicated simulator device, but it is developing into a wearable device such as a general-purpose glove or suit. On the other hand, the sense of smell and taste differs in user preferences and sensation levels, so the utilization area is relatively limited and development speed is slow.

Hologram has a strong visual impact and are actively used in advertising videos. Currently, the technology focuses on personal experiences using 'eyeglass type' personal equipment, but it is expected to be widely used in group experience and remote experience when communication network technology will be possible in the future. Compared to 3D video, VR, etc., holograms can experience real-world three-dimensional effects.

There is not much literature on the effects of MR and holographic images in outdoor advertising. Some major attribute factors, however, mentioned in previous studies include mapping and immersion, presence, visual enjoyment, visual fatigue and human factors, stimulus salience and perceptual effects[7], [17].

(2) Applied cases

The following are five major cases related to MR and hologram technology factors centered on 3D images[7].

First, related with mapping and immersion, examples include Microsoft's Holographic Processing Unit (HPU) and Intel's RealSense technology. It enhances realism and increases the audience's immersion by providing a three-dimensional sense similar to the reality we see[8]. This is also why many documentaries and feature films are being produced in 3D.

Second, on multi-user experience technology for presence, a plurality of users have developed a technology capable of communicating and feeling the presence as if they are in the same virtual space regardless of distance. Presence means to exist or exist in a certain scene, and it means a state in which a viewer stays in the world of holographic images, leaving the space of reality.

Third, with related to the visual enjoyment, the characteristics of 3D stereoscopic images can be overall summarized as providing visual enjoyment, providing image realism, and increasing immersion of the audience. Visual enjoyment is primarily due to the illusion of 3D mapping.

3D images provide visual enjoyment that can't be felt in 2D images through pop-out and depth. Presently, 3D advertising can be presented through various technologies such as 3D hologram display LED fans.(Fig. 5)

Fig. 5.

Microsoft Hololens(HPU)(Left), 3D hologram ad display fans(Right)

Fourth, as to visual fatigue and human factor, as opposed to visual enjoyment, there is visual fatigue as the reality of immersion increases. Human factor refers to securing user's safety and efficiency by considering human's physical and cognitive characteristics in order to optimize user's appreciation of sensory image.

Fifth, regarding stimulus salience and perceptual effects, mentioned in research on general motion graphic and interaction design, there are differences in perceptual effects such as exposure, attention, and memory according to the severity of stimulus such as shape, motion trajectory, size, color, and brightness[9].

First, transparent LCD can be suggested for a technological factor. It refers to a thin transparent LCD installed on a builtin refrigerator door existing in a convenience store[11]. Put the liquid crystal between the two thin glass plates and insert the electrode to display the screen. Then turn on the fluorescent backlight (BLU) to make the liquid crystal visible[12].

Second, NFC belongs to the technology that is being extended to mobile technology and financial environment system.

It is defined as a contactless short-range wireless communication system[13]. The NFC system currently uses the 13.56MZ frequency band (the same to RFID) and can transfer data between terminals at a very close distance of 10cm[15]. Third, virtual presenter, an interactive information service type, is an interactive digital signage that can be used in hotels and restaurants.[11]. It has such advantages as improving brand awareness and high message delivery because it has life-like form and voice. It is expected to provide one-stop solution for contents service and hardware in the future[15].

Fourth, Rear Projection Film (RPF) is the projection of a projector behind a translucent screen to create a screen. Any type of display can be produced. Signage created in the form of figures using rear projection film is an interactive virtual presenter, or a person pop screen[14].

Fifth, as to digital signage based on motion capture, the public utility value of digital signage, which combines interactive technology such as gesture recognition, augmented reality, motion capture technology, and sensing technology with increased ease of use, is increasing[15].

Sixth, wearable digital signage platforms are receiving attention. One of the most representative cases, iWork, developed by Nomadix, is equipped with 17.5-inch LED displays and speakers. iWork is natively compatible with smartphones and iPads, and works with PlayStation and Wii.

First, as to connected consumer and RFID, digital signage, kiosks, tablets, smartphones, etc., have recently enabled consumers to have a variety of digital experiences and form more networks than ever before. Consumers who engage in social signing and dialogue through digital signage are called connected consumers[15].

Second, videowall is a shopping experience digital signage that enables interactive communication with shoppers. It provides services such as directions to each store in the shopping center and is integrated with Facebook and Twitter. When a customer searches with a QR code to go to a store, it is linked with mobile, and a loyalty card service that shows the customer's evaluation information is also shown.

Third, the virtual fitting system consists of a large screen, a tablet, and a camera. The special barcode technology allows the computer to automatically recognize the type and color of the clothes worn by the customer and to use the augmented reality technology in front of the large screen used as a mirror. Not only does LED billboard boast premium image quality, but it also has a calibration sensor that makes white balance correction[16].

Fourth, facial recognition technology applied 'Optim Eyes platform' to each digital signage to derive detailed statistical results by number of viewers. Advances in facial recognition using cameras, location-based system (LBS) technology, and user profile technology make it easier to recognize user's age, gender, and location personality.

Fitth, information on personal properties and behaviors can be displayed using IC chip information on the mobile phone, or a Panasonic touch panel can be used to search inside a large commercial facility to guide the destination information or read the store address or phone number on the mobile phone. QR codes that can be used[17],[18].

First, kiosk based on touch screen can be selected.[10]. When the user presses a desired product (for example, clothing) using the touch screen, the customer who is displayed on the screen is standing wearing the desired product.

Second, 'motionmania' is a virtual indoor playground where multiple players can interact with sound in a colorful graphic arena projected onto the floor. Motionmania is used not only in entertainment facilities, but also in hotels and resorts, children's hospitals, restaurants and museums.

Third, interactive media implements interactive features that allow consumers to participate directly or to present customized advertisements for individual consumers. The touch screen method generally uses an IP infrared method, in which a sensor is attached to a glass front to sense a touch[16].