Back in January, we wrote about an innovative ad campaign in Australia from Porsche which used camera-tracking technology to tailor its message based on what kind of car they were driving. Now, in Moscow, one company has taken things a step further - using facial recognition software to hide an advertisement from the Russian police.
Don Giulio is an authentic Italian delicatessen in the Russian capital, which continues to sell Italian meat, cheese and other ingredients despite a ban last summer on any food imports into the country from the European Union or the United States.
In what is certainly a rather brave advertising stunt, Don Giulio has been able to tweak facial recognition software to identify the official symbols and logos on the uniforms of the Russian police, which triggers an advert promoting the delicatessen's fresh Italian produce to switch to an ad for a traditional Russian doll shop.
Don Giulio insists that the stunt is genuine, and although we'll never know for sure - you can't imagine the Russian police being too pleased with being tricked in such a way - it highlights the potential that facial recognition and eye-tracking software could bring to the outdoor advertising industry.
For instance, if you can track a police badge then there is no reason why the technology shouldn't be able to pick out the logo of a sports team, a clothing brand or the type of shoes someone is wearing in order to display a relevant ad. We've also seen a recent example of this kind of software in the UK with charity Women's Aid's 'Look at Me' campaign, which saw a domestic abuse sufferer's injuries begin to heal as more and more people looked at the advert.
Want to know more about out of home advertising? To get your own innovative outdoor ad campaign up and running today contact Out of Home International!
Don Giulio's ad tries to 'hide' from Russian police officers
Don Giulio is an authentic Italian delicatessen in the Russian capital, which continues to sell Italian meat, cheese and other ingredients despite a ban last summer on any food imports into the country from the European Union or the United States.
In what is certainly a rather brave advertising stunt, Don Giulio has been able to tweak facial recognition software to identify the official symbols and logos on the uniforms of the Russian police, which triggers an advert promoting the delicatessen's fresh Italian produce to switch to an ad for a traditional Russian doll shop.
Don Giulio insists that the stunt is genuine, and although we'll never know for sure - you can't imagine the Russian police being too pleased with being tricked in such a way - it highlights the potential that facial recognition and eye-tracking software could bring to the outdoor advertising industry.
For instance, if you can track a police badge then there is no reason why the technology shouldn't be able to pick out the logo of a sports team, a clothing brand or the type of shoes someone is wearing in order to display a relevant ad. We've also seen a recent example of this kind of software in the UK with charity Women's Aid's 'Look at Me' campaign, which saw a domestic abuse sufferer's injuries begin to heal as more and more people looked at the advert.
Want to know more about out of home advertising? To get your own innovative outdoor ad campaign up and running today contact Out of Home International!