The task of understanding the opportunities for 3D advertising involves understanding the market potential and market readiness for 3D. Here is a top-line look of the expected maturation of in-home 3D over the next few years.
Summary Spy 3D presents a white paper on the market readiness, creative opportunities and production considerations for creating commercials in 3D.
Stereoscopic 3D is a topic that everyone loves to have an opinion about. Some are exuberant about the possibilities, others dismissive. Most, however, are taking a wait-and-see approach. While waiting might seem like the right tactic, the reality is 3D is happening now and reaches far beyond the cinema or even the living room. The rapid release of 3D mobile devices like the HTC EVO, the future proof approach to TVs, and the maturity of 3D cinema are combining to create a 3D ecosystem that is growing and evolving at speeds and in ways we've never seen before.
While the prime focus of stereoscopic 3D's recent rise has been feature films, and eyes are now trained on 3D in the home, looking at the multiple ways people will be able to consume, interact with, and even create 3D content is the key to understanding the value and opportunity for advertisers.
"The next step for 3D will be to take it out of the television arena. The real power will be taking it somewhere else. That's the real dream – bringing people closer to the content. I think if you can do that in environments that you don't expect it, that's where advertisers will want to play."
The first question anyone asks about when considering 3D is cost. The basic rule of thumb is that a 3D shoot will cost anywhere from 15-25% more than a 2D shoot, largely due to shooting twice as many frames, additional crew required and additional deliverables.
That said, with the need for 3D content coming from much more than the feature world, and 3D allowing for greater immersion, the opportunities for advertisers to make an impact are great.
"I think if I'm an advertiser, 3D represents an opportunity to differentiate from others. It's an opportunity to say they're not like the others," says PwC's Teulade. "Also, 3D is generally considered more involving, it's a tool that involves people more in the content. It's an immersive experience, that's the value."
Quantel Director of Marketing Steve Owen adds that the wait-and-see approach might catch some off guard. "3D is moving unbelievably quickly. You know, four years ago nobody had even thought about 3D in broadcast television," he says, noting that the common habit of comparing the adoption arc of 3D to HD is flawed.
"When we introduced HD, we still had to change our infrastructure, it was all monolithic. But it's not like that anymore; you don't have to move the whole industry. But what you can have is bits of it move quicker than ever before."
From within the advertising world, Nils Leonard, Chief Creative Officer at Grey London, which has produced 3D spots for Sony, says the opportunities as they stand for clients are one of ambition.
"Blue chip brands see 3D as a badge of quality. When those clients ask, ‘Are we leading our industry with this ad', the hygiene practices for that are, shooting in high def, shooting in 3D, probably using a phantom at some point. Those clients will want to do that sort of work," he says, adding that clients wanting to make a statement will gravitate to landmark events. "The moment someone mentions ambition, you immediately say 3D, because you're immediately making it more complex, but you're adding a layer of power and scale."
The moment someone mentions ambition, you immediately say 3D."