A Los Angeles company creates a video player that can be installed in the pages of a magazine.
Don't be surprised if the next time you try to read a magazine, you end up watching TV instead. Americhip, a Los Angeles-based tech company, has created a video player that fits in the pages of a magazine.
The paper-thin device is actually a miniature LCD screen with a flash memory that stores content. When a page is opened, the video is triggered to start automatically.
The player will make its debut in September, appearing in a CBS Network and PepsiCo joint ad in select editions of the US showbiz magazine Entertainment Weekly - specifically, those received by subscribers in the Los Angeles and New York City areas.
After a short instructional video, users can watch teasers for CBS's new Monday-night fall line-up, with clips of shows like Two and a Half Men.
While the cost for this specific ad remains under wraps, Americhip CEO Tim Clegg said the price for the video player ranges from 12 to 30 dollars each. Not cheap, but apparently an investment advertisers think is worth while.
"Obviously we sell the return on investment. Advertisers use this, really not so much in terms of cpm, cost per thousand, it's really all about the attention, the awareness, the recognition and to a certain extent, the buzz they can create from the piece," says Tim Clegg, Americhip CEO.
Americhip's video player has a run life of about 60 minutes, plenty of time for an advertiser to reach its core audience.
The CBS video ad is likely just the beginning of print-tv integration, so be prepared for your favourite magazine or newspaper to become a little more animated.
Reuters