The thing with innovations these days is they are fads more than fashion. They need to constantly trigger interest in us consumers, otherwise forgotten.

Guess what?! We have a new love – 3D TV. Not that we are fickle-minded, but AR is losing its sparks.

What is 3D TV? To make it simpler, it’s like being able to see Spider-man climbing out of the mega screen outside Shaw House or watch Avatar (3D) at home and sometimes, without those goofy glasses.

Welcome to ‘Human Augmentation’.

Like AR, 3D TV will be another media medium for advertising. But why will advertisers be intrigued by this possible ‘nausea-inducing’ mode?

Simply, clients are getting away from a Traditional Media Push model (TV, Radio, Press) and are looking for new way to differentiate their products.

In parallel, advertisers are looking for constant new ways to expand revenues and propose new solutions to their clients.

Therefore, 3D represents now one of the new ‘hype’ solutions for advertisers that could meet client new needs.

So, what magic can we create with 3D TV?

Well, potential are HUGE and possibilities immense. Designers can express a depth of field and emotional connection they could not represent completely before. It gives them a new way to express their creativity.

Our CD was thinking of stacking a couple of 3D TVs vertically and create a ‘Niagara Falls’ without the real water mess. =)

Sounds too good to be true?! What is the real deal?

Like all campaigns and their creatives implementations, the process is never easy. Definitely, there are a couple of considerations when 3D TVs are concerned.

First, are they going to use a Display that requires the usage of glasses to wear the 3D (like Avatar) or if you use a new technology that allow you to watch 3D without glasses like the company called ‘Alioscopy’ (we went to their HQ in Singapore and their 3D displays are really cool! ). Their technology uses special screen and can reproduce any 3D without the inconvenience of wearing glasses.

Next, the technical process - How different is creating an ad for 3D TV different than regular TV?

For Alioscopy, you need to create a source from 8 different point of view of the same scene that will be merged together. Alioscopy is actually building HD camera to film directly in HD 3D. Some other solutions will use a filtering system based on frames or polarizing …

The most important will be to think 3D before you shoot. Somehow this is one of the key success of the Avatar movie. Scenes are not artificially merged to force fit a 3D scene, they are designed to support it. Same will goes for the 3D Ad. First, the message and the concept should require 3D and then the entire shooting should integrate it in the process. There will be technical constraints linked to that as well compared to a standard shooting protocol. For example, Steadicam might not support it but should be post processed.

How can brands take advantage of 3D TV?

This should come first with a real need on differentiation and show case. Brands who wants to have a major impact on their audience for a major event or product launch or show case their solution / technology / product or service – 3D TV provides a good way to differentiate.

Second, do not use 3D just to use 3D. Always evaluate what is the impact on the brand , and consumer. As questions like

- will it bring difference or not ?

- How does it generate more sales, NPS, brand awareness,?

- How can I measure it ?

Speculatively, we think high profit margin product like luxury brands, institutions like governments, organization like Olympics committee, mass market sports products , jewelry, sports , travel , Casino, pharmaceutical labswill be among the first advertisers on 3D TV.

Agencies can prepare for the entrance of 3D TV by:

1) Understanding the technology, understand what it offers and integrate it in the creative process.

2) Evaluating client who would need it or the campaign who would be able to afford it

3) Assessing which audience will benefit it – outdoor, mass media or convention?

Conservatively speaking, the setbacks involved in advertising on 3D TV will not be any more than any new technology. Costs to create an ad (or to get involved with 3D TV at all) may be higher than with traditional TV but it should be compensated by a higher ROMI.

3D TVs can be very successful or not depending on how it is used. For example, marketers complained on the non efficiency of banners ads . Ad banners are not wrong, what is wrong is the way we use them. All those new tools require innovation way of thinking, a different approach to customer needs and client problematic. 3D advertising will not solve your sells problem or your customer perception if you use them the way you used to use your own advertising.

Marketers and agency needs to adapt to the new World and evaluate differently the customer needs.

3D is a huge opportunity as well to cinema industry to sell the same movie through different medias (flat, HD, 3D, portable) and limit the risk of piracy.

3D is not new, it has been 15 years companies try to convince us about the need to switch to it. Not surprising, considering it took 10 years for HD to reach the home masses.

It is, however, only recently with the technological progress (High Definition, high refresh rate) that is really works.

This is an exciting time for marketers, agency and consumers.