• by Chase Martin , June 23, 2016

The world of IoT and connected objects in the home continues to heat up with the all-in-one connected couch, Marty.

Created by Havas Group and just showcased at Cannes, Marty is the epitome of merging media devices into a single point of control, as well as collecting all of the associated use data.

Marty is the first prototype to come out of also newly announced Havas 18/35, which is a combination of an innovation and fabrication lab and will house the group’s other innovation initiatives Lab 18, Collab and Innovation Lab.

The goal of Marty is to collect mass amounts of rich data and analyze it in order to help brands better serve consumers in the future, according to Havas.

“Currently, 80% of media interactions take place on a couch,” said Raphael de Andreis, chairman and CEO of Havas Group France. “The couch is the nerve center of media use, a place of individual and family habits involving all kinds of behaviors centered on free time, communication and work. And that makes it a fantastic research lab covering all touchpoints.”

Included, or connected, to the couch are the various devices used to consume media today.

Devices included are Amazon Echo voice control, synchronized virtual reality headsets, Bluetooth peripherals (mouse, keyboard, gamepad), connected lighting and beacons.

It also has a built-in projector, mini-fridge and 3D printer.

For the cutting-edge media experiences, Marty also includes exclusive tactile sensations technology through the form of synchronized massage from startup Aurasens.

In total, Marty includes 15 connected devices and services.

Aggregating all of these connections and controls is a custom-designed app that acts as a media dashboard for the consumer.

The edge for marketers and advertisers, however, is in the data behind the app.

In collecting and analyzing behavioral data, Marty can custom tailor the content served to consumers based on contextual relevance of their behavior, mood and preferences. In doing so, Havas says Marty potentially could help companies achieve more accurate emotion-driven marketing.