Back in the beginning of 2007, inspired by Futurist David Houle, I wrote about my vision for a new medium on which printed media would morph into electronic media, yet still retain the look and feel of printed news.

Well, another step has been made towards that vision, and it’s taking its roots in advertising.

Entertainment Weekly is taking on an experiment by which super-thin video screens will be embedded into pages of their magazines.  Prominent television personalities will grace the screens in advertisements, predominantly for Pepsi and CBS.

Americhip has developed the technology, and has developed many advanced marketing strategies that entice all five senses of the customer.  A strategy the company likes to call “multisensorizing”.

The cost of such a video-laced magazine ad hasn’t been disclosed, nor has the market for the technological magazines been specified.  However, New York and L.A. audiences are on the radar to participate.

I can’t imagine that the experiment will be cheap, but cost is largely relative, and if CBS and Pepsi see a return on their investment, we may end up seeing more of these digital screens in magazines in the very near future.

This is just the beginning.

As I mentioned in my post back in 2007, I foresee these digital screens growing into pages of their own, fed content through the Internet, and pushing the paper delivery boy out of business.

The technology is here, and by the fact that we’re going to get a taste of the technology in a magazine, even in limited distribution, tells me the price of the technology is becoming more and more attractive.

If you happen to encounter a copy of the magazine with the video ads, I’d like to hear your opinion on the experience!

Technology David Houle, magazines, media, Technology, video ads