News Ltd to introduce Papermotion webcam technology
News Ltd is hoping that its licencing of virtual reality “Papermotion” software will give its tabloid newspapers a readership boost.
The Papermotion software allows users with a webcam to pretend to have animated items in front of them.
According to today’s Sunday Telegraph, the first use of the software will feature material from Night at the Museum II, which is distributed by sister company 20th Century Fox. The paper is also giving away webcams as part of the promotion.
The newspaper quotes News Ltd marketing director Joe Talcott saying the technology will be used across the group:
“When they put the Melbourne Cup on the front page of the newspaper, you’ll be able to use this technology to watch a video of the horse winning the race.
“We’ll be using it for news stories, marketing, advertising, competitions and games in the paper.”
Although it’s not identified as being from News Ltd, an @papermotion profile launched on Twitter on Wednesday of last week which has so far gained more than 200 followers. On Friday it tweeted: “Live in Syd, Mel, Adel or Bris? Watch this space on Mon May 11 for the city locations where you can pick up your free Webcam. Followers only”
One of the technology partners in the project is Total Immersion:
It appears to be based on the same software used to promote Earth Hour which allowed users to appear to hold a rotating Earth – or indeed Death Star – in the palm of their hands and view it on their computer screen:
Linkedin
An interesting use of media.
GE in the US have a really cool example.
http://ge.ecomagination.com/sm.....ed_reality
User ID not verified.
It would be interesting to how much of the tabloid readership read their paper in front of a computer. The Financial Review maybe but I doubt many other papers are read at desk’s in the lunch room maybe but not a computer desk.
Antony McGregor Dey
QMCODES
User ID not verified.
i don’t get it
User ID not verified.
Jack Links have done a cool site with this technology also:
http://www.livingsasquatch.com/
User ID not verified.
If you’re in front of your pc surely you’re reading the online version of the paper?
User ID not verified.
struggling to see the value… surely if you’re sitting in front of a computer and you want to see a video of the Melbourne Cup (the example Joe Tacott), then you’d just click on a video link on your preffered news site??
User ID not verified.
i also heard they’re working on an edition that is printed in invisible ink … if you read it in a completely dark room and then turn on the strobe light app on your iphone it means you can read it.
it sounds totally awesome and a great practical idea.
User ID not verified.
This creates excitement in the newspaper industry because they’ve never been able to create engaging content and this is a whole new world.
However, people who’ve been working in print for decades don’t understand digital, and the practicalities of this for the user (as mentioned in comments above) means I think it wont fly.
User ID not verified.
Simon: “This creates excitement in the newspaper industry because they’ve never been able to create engaging content ” – really? a hell of a lot of people read newspapers and in order to do so they have to be “engaged” in the truest sense of the word.
Let’s not get all anti-traditional media – no single digital entity can deliver the mass audiences that traditional media can with a single execution. What digital does, and does well, is allow consumers to interact with and experience a brand, but it can’t out perform traditional media on reach.
That said, I don’t think News Ltd’s solution is a viable way to deliver both reach and interaction/engagement to consumers or advertisers
User ID not verified.
BC
You can’t say that a 3D animated & interactive hologram of your product isn’t more engaging than a 2D 4 colour static image of it?!?!
If you are, then we live on different planets.
User ID not verified.
Simon – was referring to your comment that newspaper publishers have never been able to create engaging content – I concur that a hologram is more engaging but I question the practicality of it
User ID not verified.