'See in 3D, without glasses', says Mumbai-based Three D Holograms

While 3D movies are now a rage in India, this form of advertising is still just taking off in the country. One of the companies pioneering the technology of 3D Auto-Stereoscopy in the country is Three D Holograms.

Set up by Dayal Thakkar, Three D Holograms offers advertisers the 3D Auto-Stereoscopy technology, which means that one doesn't need to wear the glasses usually required to view 3D screens to experience the depth in the content.

Partnering with the German company 3DI International, the company offers the hardware, as well as the software, to create content specifically for these screens.

In 2010, the company had tied up with out of home company Times OOH, when these screens were put up at Mumbai Airport. Here, a multitude of brands such as Orra and Incredible India experimented with the fairly new technology over the months.

Brands such as Kotak Mahindra Bank, DSP BlackRock, Birla White, Indian Oil, McDonald's, Pepsi and ITC have also tried the medium.

Pointing out the difference between 3D screens and digital OOH screens, Dayal Thakkar, managing director, Three D Holograms, tells afaqs!, "3D screens should not be treated as OOH digital screens. These should not be used to target masses, but more as an impactful tool where one can create customised solutions -- ones that are show stoppers."

Also, unlike two dimensional OOH that pitches to brands on the basis of number of screens and city footprint, Three D Holograms approaches retail with the lens of enhancing consumers' experience at retail. The objective is to create impactful brand applications that help brands at retail.

For example, a recent promotion carried out by the company was for the Viacom18-produced movie Shaitan, where movie watchers at seven cinema halls -- five in Mumbai, and two in Delhi -- saw the 3D promotion.

The content was not the TV promo; it was created from a regular poster image of the movie with a focus to grab immediate attention of people hanging in the lobbies of the cinema halls.

On the costs for the medium, Thakkar informs that while a prime time TV spot runs between Rs 2-3 lakh for 30 seconds, a 3D screen, for a 10-day period taking up close to seven-10 screens, can cost less than the cost of two spots on prime time television. However, the cost of these screens and technology varies on the size of the screen being used and the kind of content created for the advertiser.

Thakkar adds that Auto-Stereoscopic 3D technology works best for premium categories such as automobile brands, where technology can be applied to create new experiences at showrooms. For instance, a potential buyer can experience the car he is looking to buy in the colour, upholstery and trimmings of his choice. He can actually customise the vehicle to his preference and see what it would look like.

"Real-estate is another natural fit for this technology. Imagine a bunch of penthouses being developed far away from the main city. People may have time constraints to go to the location to see a sample penthouse. Our technology will help real-estate developers to showcase properties and projects in the city by giving a three-dimensional walk-through of the project to potential consumers," informs Thakkar.

Jewellery is another category, he states, where the product needs to stand out in full glory. "So, think of a five-feet wide wedding ring catalogue in the store, where a consumer can sit and flip through by a simple gesture of the hand -- yes, that's the next innovation we are getting in the third quarter of this year," he says.

Gaming, big events, menus for fast food joints where the static menu boards on the counters can be replaced by dynamic 3D screens and lots more is on the cards, the company informs.

The company aims at getting advertisers to try the medium for a couple of months. "We believe in ROI (return on investment), and so we ask them to measure it against sales, footfalls, buzz and not just on eyeballs and daily mall footfalls like OOH media."