Newport Beach-based interactive design agency JUXT Interactive is helping Clear Channel’s Spectacolor digital unit get noticed among the many distractions in New York’s Times Square.
JUXT designed a vaudeville-themed virtual dunk tank billboard that engages with the audience. It’s a form of “advertainment” that uses social media and gesture [movement] tracking technology similar to an Xbox Kinect.
The Times Square promotion uses turn-of-the-century elements such as live carnival barkers who draw crowds to a virtual painted lady and a strong man on the billboard.
The painted lady and strong man are introduced as the show characters, and people vote for who they want to see dunked by tweeting #DunkGirl or #DunkGuy.
Then they can watch their tweets broadcast on the giant HD screen.
The dunk victim is decided by whichever characters gets the most tweets.
Then the character waits atop the dunk plank as the crowd hits a floating virtual ball until it hits the target and dumps the victim into a virtual pool of water.
“Clear Channel came to us because they had billboard technology clients weren’t using,” said Todd Pergason, JUXT founder and executive creative director. “They wanted to show outdoor buyers what’s possible, and what results can be generated in a fun and easy way.”
Pergason and his team did some brainstorming and came up with 20 different concepts, he said.
“The vaudeville theme’s showmanship element stood out to us as something that was easy to get, that people could participate in and was fun and easy to execute,” Pergason said.
Clear Channel’s Dunk Tank runs three times an hour for five minutes.
“We have as many as 500 … people engaged and drawn in each time, and we estimate we’ve actively engaged about 1.7 million people through social media since we launched Memorial Day weekend,” Pergason said.
Audience members can see their photos from the event posted on Facebook.
“We’ve had about 4 million social media impressions so far,” Pergason said.
A contest on Facebook solicited dunk stars. Fans were asked to create a video explaining why they should be a dunk star.
The winner—Cal State Fullerton student and Amanda Shaw of Garden Grove—went to JUXT’s office for filming and then to New York to see the filmed dunk shown during Labor Day weekend.
The technology is expected to be used for large crowds in other well-known locations, such as stadiums, arenas, and the Las Vegas Strip, Pergason said.
Juxt Interactive was acquired by Auburn Hills, Mich.-based holding company Project: WorldWide in 2008.
Juxt Interactive’s 2011 revenue was about $6 million.
The company has 30 employees in OC.
Social Strategies
Among recent promotions via social media:
• Irvine-based tactical clothing and gear manufacturer 5.11 Tactical has a photo contest through Twitter and Instagram.
The company asks fans to share their best action shot while wearing Taclite Pro Pants with the hashtag #HAVEAPAIR. They have the chance of winning a swag bag of 5.11 Tactical gear and to be featured in the company’s fall 2013 catalog.
• Irvine-based fast-food chain Wienerschnitzel posted a photo on its Facebook page featuring a dog dressed in a hot dog costume. The company asked fans to email a clever caption for a chance to win a prize package.
Bits and Pieces
Digital marketing agency Rhythm Interactive has added lift truck dealer Toyota Material Handling USA Inc. and IT company Trace3 as clients. All are based in Irvine.
