Animated Robots Promote Coke Products In Wal-Mart
Life-sized audio-animatronic robots are making “personal appearances” in Wal-Mart stores to promote Coca-Cola products. The robots, known as “RICK,” which stands for Retailtainment Interactive Coca-Cola Kiosk, are making three-day weekend appearances in Wal-Mart Super Centers, trading out for priority display space. The figures are also being featured in retail merchandising, trade shows, Coke hospitality centers and in other promotions in ten states.
“These figures represent a milestone innovation in point of sale, and are energizing Wal-Mart’s customers to purchase our products, generating significantly increased sales volume and profitability,” said James Bailey, Sr. Director of Advertising and Sales Promotion for Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, headquartered in Charlotte, NC.
The figures incorporate 22 animation movements and are fully re-programmable. In addition to delivering pre-recorded dialogue, they are equipped with remote show control and voice communications. This equipment enables Coca-Cola field personnel to “speak” through the robots, entering into “live” conversations with shoppers or guests at special events.
The RICK robots were created for the Coca-Cola Bottlers by AVG In-Store Interactive, Chatsworth, CA, which produces animated figures for the retail marketplace.
Agfa e-box Is Self Service Station For Digital Prints
Agfa is supplying its new Agfa e-box to retailers, an easy-to-use self-service station for digital print orders. Using the e-box as an order station for virtually all digital media and cameras, customers can submit their own digital photo orders using the touch-screen monitor. These orders are automatically printed on photographic paper.
The easy-to-use self-service operation not only cuts down on the costly time spent serving customers, it also reduces the need for additional staff. Another advantage of the e-box is that it gives retailers the chance to win over customers who are already sold on digital technologies-a target group that is still growing. Digital minilabs, like the e-box, operate much like traditional fast film processing equipment with the added ability to produce prints from digital media.
Blockbuster & DIRECTV Host NFL Pro Bowl Balloting
The NFL, Blockbuster and DIRECTV have formed an arrangement in which football fans may vote for players for the 2002 Pro Bowl at more than 5,200 participating Blockbuster stores nationwide. Interactive voting kiosks have been placed in participating Blockbuster stores.
Consumers who purchase a DIRECTV system at Blockbuster stores will be entered in a sweepstakes for a chance to win one of 10 trips to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii after the NFL season. DIRECTV is the exclusive mini-dish distributor of NFL Sunday Ticket, the NFL”s satellite subscription package of Sunday afternoon games.
Curt Andrews, Sr. V.P., Marketing for Blockbuster, said, “Many of our customers are NFL fans, and with more than 70% of the U.S. population loving within 10 minutes of a Blockbuster store, it makes perfect sense for Blockbuster to host balloting for the 2002 Pro Bowl.”
Delphi Display Systems Inc. designs and manufactures outdoor digital video display systems for the quick service restaurant industry. These systems integrate advanced digital video electronics hardware and software with state-of-the-art color liquid crystal display technology to provide a sunlight-readable platform of unsurpassed image quality. Applications include drive-through order confirmation, digital p.o.p. advertising, electronic billboards and outdoor information kiosks. For more information, contact Delphi Display Systems Inc., 485 E. 17th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627; (Tel) 800-456-0060, (949) 515-1490, (Fax) 949-515-1491.
Dynamic Digital Depth Inc. features its patented OpticBOOM technology, which enables breakthrough 3D displays without special glasses required. Three-dimensional flat panel LCD and plasma screens are available in sizes ranging from 15" to 50". The displays are powered by DDD’s patented 3D content creation and delivery technologies. DDD provides turn-key 3D solutions including consulting; content services (converts 2D film and video to 3D, oversees custom content origination or provides libraries of ready-to-use 3D material); 3D Data Encoding; Distribution (delivers 3D content over any digital platform including TV, Internet, CD- and DVD-ROM); and Display. For more information, contact Dynamic Digital Depth, 2120 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404; (Tel) 310-566-3340, (Fax) 310-566-3380, (Web) www.ddd.com.
Jestertek offers the JestXtreme Immersive Experience to attract and engage a tradeshow audience. Players see themselves in the picture. The exhibitor can write a contest into their main stage show or offer the game as an attention-grabbing sideshow. Create teams and keep score for competitive excitement. Experiences can be customized or unique new games written around a product or service. The system features a small footprint starting at 8' x 10' for a single player unit and is portable. For more information, contact Jestertek, 317 Adelaide Street, West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 1P9, (Tel) 416-340-9290; (Web Site) www.jestertek.com.
Back to Top
To See previous issues of Creative Interactive Merchandising click here
To See Previous Issues of Online Weekly in Creative's Archives, click here.
To See other Creative Online Newsletters click here
