Visual Ice opens doors to marketing potential
Modern supermarkets and retailers are constantly looking at new ways to utilise every bit of available space to promote and advertise. Retailers often hang signs from the ceiling, glue banners to the floor, add placards to shelves in every aisle and use the trolley as a promotional device. But the freezer door, save from a few carefully placed stickers, has often remained largely unused. The primary problem has always been the potential to reduce the ability of the customer to see the products housed in the freezer.
With that in mind, Visual Ice, Inc. developed an innovative way to capture the attention of customers without limiting their view of the products. The company has used the latest nano-technology to enable an interactive billboard to appear on the freezer door. Within seconds of the door being opened, consumers are able to see an advertising image come to life right in front of their eyes.
The “reactive” nature of a Visual Ice promotion means that each time a freezer door is opened, the embedded promotion will appear as a frosted, or “ghost” image and remain visible for up to 2 minutes thereafter. The door will then return to its defrosted state to ensure the customer’s view of products is not impeded.
The advertising on the door can also be seen at distance (around 10-15 metres) to increase its impression rate, with its uniqueness ensuring it creates excitement and a buzz amongst consumers.
While the time it takes to show detail is dependent on the difference between the ambient temperature of the store and the temperature of the glass door, Visual Ice has reported success on refrigerator as well as freezer doors in many areas of America. Promotions can be readily installed (10-15 minutes), changed or removed, and are effortlessly maintained – as it will not be wiped-off by conventional cleaning.
The company has been making its mark in the US over the past year (it has only just launched in Australia), with a number of leading companies from a range of sectors signing up. Clients have already included Heineken, General Mills, Wal-Mart and even television station CBS.
