Technology is indeed multi-faceted. The surveillance cameras that were for so long been mounted on public places to seize suspected terrorists, have found an unexpected client â the advertising agencies. In spite of the changing face of media and along with it portrayal of ads changing by the day, ad agencies have failed to discard the old-fashioned billboards. But the question that always remains alive is, are the billboard adverts capable of generating the revenue with the amount of traffic it meets every day, or to be more precise, are the passersby actually reading these ads? It is to gather the information about passersby, their details and the length of time they spend reading the billboard that the spy cameras have come to the aid of the ad companies.
Among the companies, Quividi has become quite popular with its tiny cameras mounted on billboards, one of which is placed on a Eighth Avenue near Columbus Circle in Manhattan playing a trailer for The Andromeda Strain. There are similar billboards in Ikea stores in Europe, McDonaldâs restaurant in Singapore, in a Philadelphia commuter station with Philadelphia Soul ad and many more.
Source: NY Times
