A Sky Go-branded prototype made by Audiva was used to create the vibrations.
A German firm is proposing to transmit adverts via train windows so that the sound appears to "come from inside the user's head" when passengers lean against them.
The idea would use bone conduction technology, a technique that transmits sound to the inner ear by passing vibrations through the skull.
Bone conduction is the conduction of sound to the inner ear through the bones of the skull. Some hearing aids employ bone conduction, achieving an effect equivalent to hearing directly by means of the ears. A headset is ergonomically positioned on the temple and cheek and the electromechanical transducer, which converts electric signals into mechanical vibrations, sends sound to the brain through the cranial bones. The sound produced seems to come from inside the user's head, but can be surprisingly clear and crisp.
There are several products on the market that exploit the bone conduction transmission pathway for sound. Like hearing aids, assistive listening devices, headphones and specialized communication products (e.g. underwater headphones, headphones for runners that want to hear the surrounding and potential dangers like cars and devices for magicians that want you to believe they plant a message into your head). advantages over traditional headphones: - Does not block outside sound - Maintains sound clarity in very noisy environments - Can be used with hearing protection
The concept has been developed by ad agency BBDO Germany on behalf of broadcaster Sky Deutschland.
It is already proving controversial.
Comments…. "This is a violation to a person's right to rest" and "I think I'd take a sledgehammer to the window."
“Whilst this seems to be some pretty cool technology, I am worried that this will stop people getting much needed rest. What if they have to drive after they get off the train, but they are too tired because they were kept awake by some frankly invasive advertising? With normal train advertising we can ignore it just by closing our eyes, whereas with this it would be necessary to put a travel pillow or some item of clothing between our head and the window just to ignore the advertising and rest.”
Streamed video
The Talking Window campaign idea was shown off at the International Festival of Creativity in Cannes last month.
BBDO said it had received "highly encouraging first reactions" from commuters who tested the kit and our client.
Plans to use the idea of vibrating glasses with Ströer, one of the biggest international marketers for out-of-home-media and street furniture.
The video shows passengers on a German train being surprised to hear ads urging them to download the Sky Go app on to their smartphones to watch streamed video.
The audio is created by a special Sky-branded transmitter made by Audiva attached to the windows.
"Tired commuters often rest their heads against windows," says the ad.
"Suddenly a voice inside their head is talking to them. No-one else can hear this message."
Google also plans to use the tech in its forthcoming Glass headset.
Sky makes use of the observation that bored passengers like to lean their head against the window for a spectacular completely new form of public transport advertising that making use of this insight of bored passengers behaviour allowed us to use the bone conduction technology in a new way.
A Special transmitter releases high-frequency vibrations to the windows of public transport vehicles. When leaning against the window the vibration is transmitted through the skull into the brain where it is converted into sound. The advertising message is heard without any acoustic signals travelling through the ear.
Welcome to the world of talking windows! Here we don’t rely on any given media channel. We create our own. Combining technology (silent vibrations translated by the brain into sound) with a true insight (bored commuters leaning their head against the window). Advertising that is only perceived by the target audience. This is how future advertising will look like - not just online, but even in ambient/outdoor.
BBDO Germany said it had had a positive response to tests using prototype transmitters placed in public transport in Munich and Aachen using weather reports..
"If our customer Sky Deutschland agrees, we will start with the new medium as quickly as possible," spokesman Ulf Brychcy told the BBC.
"At present, this is limited to the German market. If we look into the future: everything is possible.
Welcome to the advertising world of minority report.
BBDO says the tech would allow it to target tired and bored commuters
"Some people don´t like advertising in general. But this is really a new technology. Used not just for advertising, but also for music, entertainment, mass transport information, weather reports and so on."
A spokeswoman for Sky Deutschland said it had yet to make a decision on whether to run the campaign.
Although the firm shares the same logo as the UK's BSkyB's satellite TV service, the two are separate companies, albeit both part-owned by News Corp.
BSkyB said it had not been aware of the campaign before the BBC brought it to its attention, and was not planning to launch anything similar.
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