Developed and tested over the past 12 months, a pioneering new vehicle recognition technology from Ocean Outdoor is being rolled out for the first time in the UK with a campaign featuring the All-New Renault Mégane. Vehicle recognition uses cameras positioned at Digital Out Of Home sites facing stationary traffic to identify the make, model and colour of stationary vehicles from their number plates and then serves the driver and passengers content which is based on specific audience demographics and data relevant to that vehicle.
All vehicle details are then matched with an anonymised vehicle specification database, which does not store or record any personal data. The pioneering technology offers brands highly defined targeting and greater efficiency than standard out-of-home play-out, hitting core target audiences with zero wastage with real-time activation that allows for dynamic delivery based on environmental triggers. Brands will also only pay for play-outs when a target vehicle is stationary at the traffic lights. The vehicle recognition technology is now live in London at Ocean’s landmark Holland Park Roundabout location, with plans to install the technology on other key DOOH road facing sites in Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle this year to reach affluent commuters and shoppers.
Kevin Henry, Head of Screen Investment at Ocean, said: “Vehicle recognition is a progressive technology integrated into digital out of home which optimises and innovates the way brands connect with target audiences. This pioneering system identifies and accesses valued audiences in real-time and there are a range of ways it can be deployed: it can serve adverts for a new model of the same car, or it can be leveraged to launch a new product that’s relevant to a particular driver demographic.” Colette Casey, Brand Communications Manager, Renault UK, added: “The technology really pushes the boundaries, enabling us to showcase the All-New Mégane in an engaging and unique way versus the rest of our extensive outdoor campaigns. What is also particularly clever about vehicle recognition technology is that it allows us to speak directly to drivers, something we haven’t been able to do before in roadside out of home.”
How the vehicle recognition system works:
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Once a vehicle stops at the traffic lights, cameras monitor the stationary traffic in each lane.
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Cameras detect the vehicle’s number plate and the technology matches it with the anonymised vehicle specification database and pulls out the make, model and colour of the stationary vehicle.
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Once the target vehicle is detected, the Vehicle Recognition Technology triggers a corresponding creative to be served in real-time.
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The sophisticated platform delivers a post campaign report every time the ad is triggered (time stamped confirming a vehicle’s presence, day-part delivery breakdown and proof of play-out).
The first campaign to use this incredible technology is based on the popular car journey game, I-Spy, and was created by Publicis with planning through Talon and Manning Gottlieb OMD. The campaign is based around the All-New Renault Mégane, the fourth generation of the French car manufacturer’s popular family hatchback, which goes on sale in the UK later this month.
