3D billboards are the best way to get real attention - envision what really matters (2023)

What are 3D billboards and how do they work?

3D billboards are large digital billboards that use "naked-eye" 3D imaging technology to give the viewer a vivid sense of perspective and depth. When done well (as seen above), the billboard creates an optical illusion that makes the viewer feel as if the billboard motif 'jumps out' of the screen without the need for 3D glasses. Perfect for attracting the attention of pedestrians on the street!

The 3D material used to create the illusion is made fromCombine two versions of the same contentfilmed from the exact angle from which the human eye would see it. The billboard uses what is known as a parallax barrier, which uses a series of linear "stripes" across the front of the screen. These so-called strips block light from individual images seen by the other eye. The aim is to mimic how our eyes "blend" the visual stimuli received by both eyes to create a three-dimensional perception of the world.

Why are 3D billboards important?

2D billboards and billboards have been a key tool in outdoor marketing for nearly 200 years, and it doesn't look like that's going to change any time soon. According to DashTwo,75% of US travelers have seen a digital billboard in the last monthand 55% said they were "very engaged" with the brand message.

In an increasingly digital world, billboards remain one of the most effective (and therefore most important) ways for brands to get their message across to target audiences in the physical world. And the numbers show just that, with moreIn the US alone, $7 billion was spent on out-of-home (OOH) advertising in 2021.it is expected to grow to nearly $8.7 billion by 2026.

But here, too, the digital world presents new challenges to advertisers. Consumers are exposed to more brands and advertising than ever before.(More than 5,000 a day in the US!). We use more and more screens at the same time. It's getting faster and easier to "subscribe" to updates from your friends, favorite stars and posts. The social media giants, whose very existence depends on getting as much exposure as possible, have some of the best product teams in the world, creating the ideal experience to capture maximum attention from their (almost) ever-growing user base.

Basically, there is fierce competition in the struggle for attention. But we still only have this.Same old mental processing power.We've seen a lot of clever attempts to grab attention with 2D billboards in the past. Just take a look at this Samsonite billboard below, which tries to give the impression that the boxes "stand out" by removing the background from the top of the billboard. By creating a kind of illusion that gives the impression that you have a pair of bags floating in front of you, products gain more visual prominence through a type of attention called attention.care from bottom to top. smart right?

What are some of the best examples of 3D billboards?

So we talked a little bit about what 3D billboards are and why they matter. But how have advertisers actually used them? Check out 5 of our favorite 3D billboards below, handpicked by the expoze.io team:

The Wheel of Time in London
With excellent use of space and contrast, the Wheel of Time billboard creates an almost realistic view of a giant hand and other figures emerging from the darkness in Piccadilly Circus.

How do 3D billboards compare to traditional billboards?

Now we saw some examples of 3D billboards. And indeed, they are very innovative and very fun, but how do they really compare to 2D billboards? Is there really an added value compared to buying a cheaper non-digital alternative?

As far as foot traffic is concerned, it completely depends on the location. A 3D billboard in Times Square would likely attract as many passers-by as any other 2D billboard in the same location. But the important question remains:How much attention would that get?

To answer this question, we look at some examples.expoze.io. In this case, we look at two photos of the same billboard in Piccadilly Circus, London. On the left, we see an image taken from the current 3D billboard in Meta Quest 2. In this case, we see that the billboard gets 80% of the image's visual attention. On the right we see the same billboard with a series of 2D advertisements. Only this version of the billboardreceives 51% of the attention, which means that the 3D version receives 50% more attention compared to the 2D version.

Note that there are also several factors that can influence attention, such as: B. the time of day, the colors used on the billboard and other surrounding images. But even taking these factors into account, the difference is huge.

5 tips for testing attention on your own billboard

Let's say you're dying to get started and want to have your own 3D billboard (or even a 2D billboard) ASAP. That's great, but how are you going to test this? You can monitor foot or vehicle traffic in the area, but how do you know if your new billboard will turn heads? Thanks to our extensive research on OOH media optimization with our parent company Alpha.One, we have 5 practical tips for creating and testing your billboard:

Tip 1: Always test your billboard in context

Note that in the above example, we are not just comparing the images displayed on the billboards one by one. We actually used an image that showed the billboardsin the context in which they are presented to the target audience (Piccadilly Circus). This is important to ensure that you test your billboard in a realistic environment and get results that reflect the same conditions under which your target audience will view the billboard.

To give you an idea, we've quickly assembled the following example to show how this can be done. All you need is an image of where you want to display your billboard and some basic editing software (Figma, Photoshop, even Apple Preview or Paint).

All you have to do is upload your poster design and resize it to fit the space where your poster will be displayed.