The Hindu Business Line : HolograFX brings `floating image' option to advertisers

Hyderabad June 18 HolograFX Inc, a US-based 3D holographic advertising systems provider, has partnered with Icatch Communications Ltd, to bring holographic or "floating image" option to Indian advertisers and brand managers.

Following its early inroads with Pepsi, Kellogs, Adidas, General Motors, and National Cine Media (20th Century Fox) and NASA in the US, it is in parleys with the likes of Wal-Mart to offer similar services in the US-based mega retailer's stores.

The Chief Executive Officer of HolograFX, Mr Eric Brown, told newspersons that this new medium provides interactivity to advertisers and helps them build on their brand.

Advantages

It also brings the advantage of connecting with one's favourite hero, if one wanted to.

Demonstrating the power of floating images, Mr Brown said they get to become so real that one is tempted to touch and feel them, even though they are in fact illusionary.

The Director of Marketing, Icatch, Ms Sangeetha Gummi, said they were in parleys with some of the advertisers to offer them point of presence advertisements through floating images.

"The Indian market is poised for a big time boom in retail format stores, large malls and with new airports being developed in the country, we see immense scope for this new medium of expression that also brings in interactivity. In fact, if it is a perfume advertisement, one can spray the perfume around such images for real experience. So is the case with chocolate, helping people enjoy its flavour," Mr Brown explained.

Icatch is the sole distributor for this 3D technology that projects full motion and sound images that float in mid-air. This does not require special glasses. However, the view is over 60 degrees only. These floating images have become popular in movie promos, commercial products and point of sale displays.

Effectively, one can have the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Superman or even Hrithik Roshan offering people a cool drink?