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News - Cutting Edge
(updated 21 July 2008)
(21.07.08)
Retail designers constantly face the tough demands of refreshing the look
and feel of stores, boutiques and kiosks. Ignite Retail Design International
met those demands for healthcare provider Hidden Hearing using 3M's Vikuiti
rear projection film.
"Using Vikuiti, we can move merchandising beyond simply showing a product,” says Paula Dowie, Managing Partner of Ignite Retail Design. “We are now able to communicate sophisticated and complex offers at the point of sale. In our project with Hidden Hearing, Vikuiti film provided an eye-catching medium through which to demonstrate the effects of hearing loss, explain that a solution is possible, and offer a free hearing test in the store. Vikuiti Film gives us the power to attract and hold people's attention sufficiently to put all those messages across."
Elliptical Vikuiti displays measuring 1.2x0.9m are being installed in six branches of Hidden Hearing. The first test site in Tunbridge Wells is already active, and has successfully increased the number of visitors to the branch and encouraged increased take-up of consultations. The first video presentation, created by Ignite, shows a series of life situations showing how people who suffer from hearing loss can improve their quality of life. The video concludes by offering a free hearing test in the branch. The video is played continuously using the ceiling-mounted projector, and can be updated quickly and easily as required.
Hidden Hearing’s Graham Lane confirms, "As our design agency, Ignite constantly looks for new ways for us to attract new customers. I am really pleased with the trial so far. I am particularly happy that we have been able to achieve shaped screens, and that these are mounted against the window for maximum impact rather than being set back. Vikuiti Film also gives a much wider angle of vision than a conventional screen, which obviously benefits any retailer wanting to capture and keep the attention of the passing consumer."
The ability of Vikuiti rear projection film to be attached directly to the shop window from inside the premises, without the needs for mounting brackets or electrical supply, meant Ignite's designers could enjoy maximum freedom to match the display to the organic, contoured styling applied throughout the store. This has allowed Hidden Hearing to incorporate multimedia seamlessly into its marketing, using motion, sound and colour to complement the brand and maximise impact.
Following the success at the Tunbridge Wells branch, Ignite and Hidden Hearing plan to extend the trial to branches in Kingston-upon-Thames, Rugby, Salisbury, Peterborough and Baker Street, London.
"As an established international retail design group,” concludes Billy Evans, Sales & Marketing Manager for 3M's Optical Systems division, “Ignite has demonstrated how Vikuiti Rear Projection Film opens new creative avenues in retail merchandising. Moreover, Vikuiti Film's versatility and ease of use enables brands to communicate powerfully with specific types of customers."
www.igniteretaildesign.com
www.3m.co.uk/vikuiti
(21.07.08)
Nexcom's new NDiS 161 high reliability, cost-effective digital signage
media player boasts astonishing graphics, multi-format multimedia support,
fan-less design, and versatile connectivity.
The system is housed in an ultra slim-line, easy to mount package that is easily mounted behind large LCDs for retail, hospitality, entertainment and transportation applications Based on Intel’s 945GME chipset and complete with support for Intel’s Core 2 Duo solution, NDiS 161 is said to deliver outstanding graphics in high resolution up to 1920x1080i performance with a multi-screen display capability.
With its slim design, NDiS 161 is easily mounted behind large LCDs. With its apparently revolutionary fan-less design, the media player is said to be highly reliable and quiet for perfect 24/7 operation.
Back to top(08.07.08)
There's a digital world media first launched at five London tube stations!
Europe's largest digital advertising network now enables advertisers to
captivate consumers with full motion HD quality creative, at different
times of day and week.
Nestlé, Sky, Magners, Paramount, InBev and Dewynters have signed as the official launch partners of cross-track projection, XTP, CBS Outdoor's digital media opportunity on the London Underground, world first in terms of its screen size and sophistication. Giant cross-track screens, the equivalent of 14ft TV screens, beam soundless commercial content in full motion and HD quality at 23 sites at five of the busiest stations in London.
Piccadilly Circus, Bank, Liverpool Street, Euston and Bond Street have all been fitted with advanced projectors and giant screens, each linked to a new digital advertising network enabling partners to remotely update their messages on a 120sec loop, at the touch of a button. The partnerships are now running for a minimum of six weeks. It started on June 30.
Sky and Nestlé opted for an all day presence on the sites, using different day parts and 20sec spots in each loop to promote their distinct divisions or brands. Sky News is using the morning slot to advertise to commuters at the time when they are most keen to stay on top of the news agenda; Sky One and Sky Movies are using the evening day part to promote that evening’s programme schedule, while Sky Sports will focus on weekends to tie in with key matches and events.
Nestlé will alternate its Boosted Smoothies, Purina ONE and Perrier brands. InBev in the evening day part, is engaging audiences closer to the point of consumption using a bespoke creative for Stella Artois, developed specifically for XTP. Magners, having identified the evening commuter as its key audience, is from early evening to midnight, running four sets of 20sec creative pieces, featuring a different one in each loop throughout the evening.
Paramount is using the system to promote its new film releases, starting with Kung Fu Panda and following up with Love Guru. The Dewynter creative is promoting one of several key London shows during the day including Mamma Mia, Avenue Q, Spamalot and Wicked.
“The introduction of XTP is a landmark event for London media,” says Tim Bleakley, MD at CBS Outdoor, notes, “I have no doubt in my mind that it is the single most significant media launch since Channel Five It’s the medium for the capital – cutting edge, capturing and captivating consumers and offering outstanding flexibility for advertisers. This launch has been three years in the making, working with best in class partners and consulting the industry every step of the way.”
XTP boasts the highest spec and most cutting-edge projection system in the world. Designed specifically for the tube environment in conjunction with digital projection, the company says XTP’s HD capabilities in addition to the quality of the projection mean that image brightness and overall quality is superior to anything else that is currently available on the market.
To date CBS Outdoor has installed across the London Underground 1034 digital screens, including 181 LCDs, 830 digital escalator panels and 23 XTP screens. In total, CBS Outdoor’s £72 million investment programme will see the installation of 2000 digital screens across the tube network, including 150 XTP screens. It is anticipated that by the end of this year, the programme will be between 95~100% complete.
Back to top(08.07.08)
Harris Corporation's InfoCaster digital signage solution has been approved
for use with Bally and Paltronics progressive slot gaming systems by the
State of Nevada Gaming Control Board.
The InfoCaster solution's media controller interface enables the digital signage system to grab dynamically changing data - using XML schemes - from Bally and Paltronics systems and continually update and display data relating to the "progressive" values from the slot machines in real time. In the event of a jackpot hit, the InfoCaster system displays the amount and location of the jackpot win within the slot machine areas and can automatically display the win on screens throughout an entire venue.
"Casinos and other slot machine gaming venues are looking for every competitive edge to enhance the customer experience, boost brand loyalty and increase profits," says Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. "With its ability to work in real time and generate high-quality displays, the InfoCaster system offers a unique way for slot machine venues to interface with progressive gaming systems already in place to grab the attention of guests and increase excitement."
A key component of Harris Digital Signage(tm) solutions, InfoCaster offers a complete suite of systems for creating, scheduling, distributing, playing and reporting live video and graphics. Users can acquire or create digital content and manage it throughout the entire delivery chain - from a central site or multiple remote locations - on a digital signage network.
Harris Digital Signage solutions support the complete digital
signage content delivery chain and are designed to scale from supporting
small, multi-screen implementations at a single venue to enterprise implementations
that encompass large numbers of venues, zones and screens. In addition
to the InfoCaster line of products, the Harris
portfolio offers a full line of content management solutions for supporting
creation, production, management, scheduling, distribution and reporting
of video, audio and graphic information.
Harris Broadcast Communications offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions that span the entire media delivery chain. The Harris ONE(tm) approach brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that are ideal for emerging media business models and for customers upgrading media operations to digital and high-definition services.
Back to top(08.07.08)
Hitachi's portfolio of wide format TFT displays now includes display sizes
of 7, 8, 9, 12, 15.4 and 17, all with WVGA and WXGA resolutions. Its IPS-Pro
technology is now said to provide the market with medium size displays
that benefit from exceptionally wide viewing angles, excellent colour
saturation and reproduction.
"We see the wide format display modules as a future growth area for the industrial sector. These widescreen LCD modules place Hitachi firmly at the forefront of this developing market. With six display sizes and wide VGA and XGA resolutions our strategy is to continue to offer customers market leading optical performance, long term availability and continuity of supply," comments Mark Stephenson, Product Manager for Hitachi Display Products Group. "Wide format TFT displays will find use in many front panel, instrumentation and process control systems and designs. The mechanical footprint of the wide format TFT display is ideally suited for human machine interface applications particularly medical and industrial monitoring. Information, data and graphics can be concisely represented and displayed providing an enhanced user interface."
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