Adobe unveils giant ‘interactive wall’ ad

Adobe, the creative software giant behind applications such as Acrobat, is launching a Minority Report-style ad campaign that will aim to blur the boundaries of reality and fantasy.

The US software group is to use a giant interactive wall – seven feet high and 15 feet wide – at Virgin Megastore’s Piccadilly Circus branch to advertise the capabilities of its Creative Suite 3 software. The strategy has already been launched in New York. Both installations are live for a month.

As pedestrians walk past the wall, infrared sensors lock on to the person closest to the wall, who is then able to control a projected slider button at the bottom of the wall. They can walk past the screen and move the slider along, triggering animation and music. Sound and visual effects grow or dwindle at the same pace as the person advances or retreats. When the pedestrian reaches the end of the wall, their design is screened above the campaign’s strapline.

The campaign uses the strapline “Creative licence: take as much as you want”. The outdoor installations are part of a wider strategy to promote Creative Suite 3, which launched earlier this year. They have been created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners. It is understood to be Adobe’s biggest investment in digital advertising to date.

The campaign is Adobe’s first major marketing push under Anne Lewnes, who joined the company late last year from Intel.