Underscore love original advertising concepts, but is this modern day technology taking advertising a step too far?
European digital media network Amscreen, founded and owned by Lord Sugar, announced earlier this month the launch of its new advertising platform software OptimEyes – an innovative yet controversial change in modern day advertising.
OptimEyes has been compared to Minority Report, referred to as a snide device and contributed to a change in advertising.
The launch of OptimEyes, a revolutionary software that has the ability to detect its audiences will be installed in 6,000 of Amscreen’s already existing screens across the globe, including Germany, Poland and Switzerland.
The UK will be home to over half of the screens; Hospitals, doctors surgeries, convenience stores, train stations, airports and banks are few of the destinations to have installed over 3,651 of the screens, 450 of which are situated in Tesco petrol stations, collectively targeting over 5 million Brit’s every week.
Similar to the 2002 film Minority Report, in which Tom Cruise is surrounded by adverts that are tailored just for him, the OptimEyes system works in a similar manner. An inbuilt camera in each screen detects individuals in the audience in the proximity of the advertising screen, without the viewers even having to look at the screen.
The innovative software has the technological ability to identify age, sex, location and time, collecting a live stream of the locations constant change in target markets. A configuration of the data collected is then used to select an appropriate advert for the audience, changing the way target market research is collected, and adverts are delivered.
However, the ingenious piece of technology has not been welcomed by all. Many believe the filming of consumers is an invasion of personal information, and an act of encroaching on public privacy.
Simon Sugar, CEO of Amscreen and son of Lord Sugar, has defended the software in a statement claiming brands “deserve to know” who their audience is, “It is time for a step change in advertising – brands deserve to know not just an estimation of how many eyeballs are viewing their adverts, but who they are too.”
Changing the face of British advertising and retail, or changing our right for personal privacy? The jury is still out.
For more on Amscreen and its OptimEyes launch: