• by Lynn Russo , April 25, 2005

If you are long overdue for a little childish fun and ready to let your hair down, then head to the nearest Reactrix interactive advertising panel and proceed to jump up and down. Or, kick objects inside of it. Or, touch brand logos with your fingers and watch them wiggle, move, or transform into other things. And feel free to yell "woo-hoo!" several times; there are no age restrictions.

The very second you come in contact with a Reactrix panel, you will feel very much like Josh, Tom Hanks' character in the 1988 movie "Big," when he plays a giant piano with his feet. The interactive technology offers consumers a memorable experience. But the best part is, participants are interacting with and remembering brand advertising. And they don't even realize it, because they're having so much fun.

"What people see on the ground is a 6 foot by 8 foot image projected onto white linoleum or tile," explains Andy Donkin, vice president, chief marketing officer, and general manager of media for Reactrix. "All the technology is hanging above them. We use a standard cpu [central processing unit] and projector with our proprietary software. An infrared camera and display see your image as it is coming into contact with the panel; the software then takes your image and integrates it," Donkin adds.

The technology is currently being used by Toys 'R' Us in Manhattan (Times Square), Sam Goody in the Mall of America (Minneapolis), and the mgm Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, among other places. But if you're really looking for fun, skip the Manhattan Toys 'R' Us, where I was personally disappointed to find a simple retail logo surrounded by a bunch of 3-year-olds chasing digital bubbles, and head for the Sony Metreon mall in San Francisco.

Here, you'll be able to touch logos that ripple like water, or that click-through like Internet links to offer an ad or brand message. Depending on the day, you could spend your time kicking air hockey pucks or soccer balls, or stepping on a pedal to race a car. Ad messages range from simple brand place-ment inside a game, to promotions with immediately redeem-able rewards.

Best of all, Reactrix panels are measurable, Donkin says, noting that they can increase overall and individual store traffic and product sales.