• CMO.com, Tuesday, March 14, 2006 12 PM

Michael Ribero has a tough job. He tries to convince major marketers to let consumers walk all over their products. Well, not really, but kind of. Ribero works for Reactrix Inc. of Foster City, California, which has developed a unique form of outdoor, interactive advertising that is projected on the floor at malls, movie theaters and retail outlets. Here's how it works. A ceiling-mounted digital projector casts a full-color, animated image about the size of a pool table on the floor. As people walk across the image, a camera perched next to the projector senses their activity--and the image responds. For example, stepping on kernels of Orville Redenbacher's popcorn causes them to explode into puffy white morsels, and walking through a racetrack full of Mini Coopers sparks a demolition derby. Passersby can also enjoy a pick-up game of virtual soccer with one another--complete with scorekeeping--using an Adidas-branded ball. "Consumers are becoming more resistant to traditional media," says Ribero. "This is something you're choosing to interact with. And when there's kinetic activity involved--like kicking a soccer ball or swiping something--the human brain imprints memory in a different way."

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