So It Wasn't Satan!

[Pani]

What will they think of next? An ad that beams voices directly into a poor consumer's cranium. Wonder how long this technology has been available, and what else it was used for!

http://www.commercialalert.org/news/archive/2007/12/hear-voices-it-may-be-an-ad

 

[Blue Velvet]

Unforgivable. This form of advertising should be completely banned... the slippery justifications and soft-soaping from the company that's pushing this technology is absurd, and just a little frightening.

Mr. Pompei said the company also has tested retail deployments in grocery stores with Procter & Gamble and Kraft for customized audio messaging. So a customer, for example, looking to buy laundry detergent could suddenly hear the sound of gurgling water and thus feel compelled to buy Tide as a result of the sonic experience.

Mr. Pompei contends that the technology will take time for consumers to get used to, much like the lights on digital signage and illuminated billboards did when they were first used. The website Gawker posted an item about the billboard last week with the headline “Schizophrenia is the new ad gimmick,” and asked “How soon will it be until in addition to the do-not-call list, we’ll have a ‘do not beam commercial messages into my head’ list?”

 

[rdowns]

Damn scary. Don't we have enough ads intruding on us already. Two weeks ago in Denver, they had ads for a DWI lawyer above the urinal in a bar. What next, the government sending us audio messages?

In a slightly related note, the supermarkets here have begun using these shelf talkers (they start an audio message when it detects someone walking past). After the third week of walking by one on the Nabisco shelf, I slapped at it and it went flying down the aisle. I felt good after.

 

[mpw]

Unforgivable. This form of advertising should be completely banned... the slippery justifications and soft-soaping from the company that's pushing this technology is absurd, and just a little frightening.

I think banning audio advertising is a little absurd. How is this form of advertising any worse than some TV/radio/print ads? I accept that hearing a voice without explanation could be alarming, but that's the content not the technology. I think it'd be perfectly acceptable, at least in comparison to other aural adverts or announcements, so long as the content was reasonable.

 

[gauchogolfer]

I hate to see it used in advertising like this (a bit too much Minority Report...) but I think the technology could be cool in other applications. Maybe your car dashboard could beam important information to you while driving, for example. The ads, though, that's just too creepy.

 

[mpw]

I hate to see it used in advertising like this (a bit too much Minority Report...) but I think the technology could be cool in other applications. Maybe your car dashboard could beam important information to you while driving, for example. The ads, though, that's just too creepy.

I think it was Vauxhall/GM who had this in a concept car a couple of years ago so each passenger could listen to different audio, or no audio, without bothering the others.

 

[Blue Velvet]

I think banning audio advertising is a little absurd. How is this form of advertising any worse than some TV/radio/print ads?

Because it's obviously disruptive, a gross invasion of personal space and in some cases, potentially hazardous. I can switch the others off or look away, but this gives no notification of the source or the zone it's employed in.

If it's rolled out as some manufacturers would like to see, people just won't stand for it.

 

[mpw]

Because it's obviously disruptive, a gross invasion of personal space and in some cases, potentially hazardous. I can switch the others off or look away, but this gives no notification of the source or the zone it's employed in...

No more so than a traditional loud-speaker system, like I said the content just needs to be reasonable.

Should commercial radio be banned in shops and public spaces?

...If it's rolled out as some manufacturers would like to see, people just won't stand for it.

If? So control it, don't ban it. I want to drive at 100mph on the M1, should I be banned from driving, or have controls so I drive at a reasonable' speed?

If you removed the controls from print and TV ads so advertisers could use them as they wanted, I bet a lot more nipples would appear in shower-gel adverts.

 

[rockosmodurnlif]

They've had this technology for years? Why isn't someone working on a version of this for home audio use? Damn advertising, surround sound in your head? That's what I'm talking about.

Secondly, the ad campaign is working, who would've known about Paranormal State before this? And to appropriate a paraphrasing, there be no shelter here, advertising is everywhere.

 

[skunk]

No more so than a traditional loud-speaker system, like I said the content just needs to be reasonable.

With a traditional loudspeaker system, you can block your ears, with visuals you can look away. I want to be able to choose what I listen to, choose what I look at. This is utterly unacceptable, whatever the content.

Should commercial radio be banned in shops and public spaces?

Yes.

 

[mpw]

With a traditional loudspeaker system, you can block your ears...

So block your ears when you hear an ad using this technology.

Despite how it's described on the anti-commercialism website:
"...from a rooftop speaker so that the sound is contained within your cranium..."
The sound is still heard by the listener in the same way, it's just not broadcast as widely.

Sorry, I was vaguely aware of this technology from the concept car I mentioned before and had wrongly assumed the story would be enough to explain how it worked. A quick re-read and I see it doesn't and uses mis-information like that quoted above to imply that 'they' are beaming 'into' the listeners head.

At least that's my understanding.

Link to an better explanation of the technology.

 

[MacNut]

I think banning audio advertising is a little absurd. How is this form of advertising any worse than some TV/radio/print ads

I can change the station or turn it off, or turn the page. That is the difference.

I don't want new forms of advertising, I want less of it. It is everywhere I turn and I try not to pay attention to it the problem is they make it harder to do so.

 

[mpw]

I can change the station or turn it off, or turn the page. That is the difference.

Not if it's an advert in a shopping centre, or a radio in a store, or before a cinema movie etc. etc.

 

[MacNut]

Not if it's an advert in a shopping centre, or a radio in a store, or before a cinema movie etc. etc.

And that isn't right either. If I paid for ticket I don't want to see promos in a movie trailer. Granted some places I can't control what I hear, but I would like to be able to have the ability to get away from it. The difference is that in a grocery store I can drown it out with back round noise. If it is beaming right to me it is harder to ignore it.

 

[mpw]

And that isn't right either. If I paid for ticket I don't want to see promos in a movie trailer.

Well that's a fair comment, maybe all adverts should be banned then, it would save paper too as with only editorial most magazines would be half the size, and it'd save time as every hour of TV could be watched in about 45mins.

 

[MacNut]

Well that's a fair comment, maybe all adverts should be banned then, it would save paper too as with only editorial most magazines would be half the size, and it'd save time as every hour of TV could be watched in about 45mins.

The best advertisement is word of mouth, that and hot people selling stuff. If you want to keep my attention have more Victoria Secret ads.

 

[mpw]

...The difference is that in a grocery store I can drown it out with back round noise. If it is beaming right to me it is harder to ignore it.

No the difference is that in a traditional aural advert you hear it from one end of the aisle to the next, whereas this technology contributes less to that background noise, or noise pollution, so you hear it only where it's pointed, using your ears as normal.

 

[MacNut]

No the difference is that in a traditional aural advert you hear it from one end of the aisle to the next, whereas this technology contributes less to that background noise, or noise pollution, so you hear it only where it's pointed, using your ears as normal.

So as I avoid that isle all together Im not going to buy their product, yes good marketing.

 

[mpw]

So as I avoid that isle all together Im not going to buy their product, yes good marketing.

So you now think this is a step forward? Less noise pollution, just as the inventor intended.

 

[MacNut]

So you now think this is a step forward? Less noise pollution, just as the inventor intended.

I think less marketing in general would be a step forward.

 

[someguy]

If I were the target of such invasive advertising, I would certainly track down the source and start throwing rocks at it.

 

[mpw]

If I were the target of such invasive advertising, I would certainly track down the source and start throwing rocks at it.

Do you throw rocks at market stall holders shouting about their products? or news sellers? "Read all about it, read all abo<thud>..."

 

[0098386]

I don't like the sound of this.

 

[redeye be]

people are over reacting (imo)

This could lead to some really fun campaigns and just plain useful stuff. As for misuse, like mpw mentioned, regulation happens in all media. Can't wait to see this work.


PS
Jiskefet had show on something like this in 1998 (part of their Multilul serie). Great stuff. It's dutch, but if you'd hang in there I'm sure you'd get it.
LMFAO-material, really.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR9f00ju1sQ
(if you're not even smiling a little after 4 minutes you might as well turn it off )

 

[mpw]

...Can't wait to see this work...

Here's a video.