Virtual Advertising

Overview

Providing an exciting new cutting edge virtual advertising platform which is more flexible, more dynamic and more cost-effective than other traditional advertising mediums.

Since the late 60's, the Hego Group have continuously developed leading-edge solutions for live TV graphics creation. From our heritage in delivering solutions for live sports graphics applications, our portfolio has grown to include everything from advanced news graphics systems, to cutting edge real-time 3D stereoscopic graphics and virtual graphics solutions.

The unique combination of focused hardware engineers and skilled software developers has given Hego the ability to consistently deliver the best possible solutions for our broadcast customers. Many of these solutions are offered today as well-proven products, highly appreciated by broadcasters all over the world with over 100 installations in 15 countries.

Products for Virtual Advertising

The traditional approach of advertising through TV commercial breaks has in recent years been in decline, which is a worrying trend for many commercial TV networks. This is to a large extent due to the changing behaviour of audiences in consuming more of their content and entertainment over the web, but also due to the growth in use of Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) which are able to remove traditional advertising slots from recorded live TV.

This is a challenge that Hego can help address. With advertisers constantly looking for new and innovative ways to reach their target audience, virtual graphics offers a compelling new medium to achieve this. Being able to embed product and brand messaging more subtly into the live TV action that the audience is watching is an exciting new approach to communicating the commercial message and even associating certain brands with specific actions that occur on screen.

Hego has tackled this challenge by developing a best of breed system that is capable of reliably inserting virtual adverts and products into live TV, using just standard camera equipment and without the need for complex calibration processes. Both the AKI Virtual Placement and AKI Virtual Football products, employ Hego's advanced image-processing technology which is powerful enough that any virtual graphic can be inserted instantly and seamlessly into a live studio or sports field production after the few minutes of initial setup and calibration.

Continued developments in IPTV platforms and the latest consumer media devices for TV viewing are opening up even more exciting new possibilities in targeted advertising which promises to not only deliver the most appropriate advert to an individual TV viewer, but also the possibility for them to interact with that brand live over the Internet. Virtual advertising gives the future possibility for this huge flexibility and interactivity and Hego is in the driving seat to help make this a reality.

Application - Sports Production Advertising

Many of the traditional approaches to advertising boards at sports arenas can be mimicked exactly in live TV coverage. Advertising boards, LED advertising sideboards, painted pitches, 3D carpets can all be perfectly copied in virtual video overlays. Even giant photorealistic arena screens can be created virtually to display commercials. For the live action, advertising messages can be added into instant replay wipes or added as sponsors to specific analyses such off-side lines or free-kicks and penalties.

Producing graphics virtually and using them in live TV productions not only gives a significantly larger degree of flexibility, control and scope for broadcasters, but more importantly offers a more compelling proposition for advertisers and a considerably more cost effective solution for clubs and arenas. The overall impact is that it can help in attracting more sponsorship revenue to clubs, federations and broadcasters and also help them in keeping a greater proportion of it.

Application - In-studio Advertising

With many of the legislative barriers to live TV advertising no longer in place, this opens up many new possibilities for TV broadcasters to explore in their live TV shows. It could mean that a popular drinks brand want to place its virtual bottle subtly on the table of the talk show host. It may mean that a shopping channel wishes to give its presenter a more unique way to better explain the merits of the product through a virtual animation next to them in the studio.

Hego Group Production Services

With production teams all over Europe as well as North and South America, the Hego Group is always ready to take on virtual advertising assignments on a service basis. We have complete solutions for virtual advertising both for studio production and all major sports events and also work with several major branding agency partners.

We are no stranger to complex project environments, with a strong heritage in delivering highly reliable information management and data delivery systems at large events. This includes delivering mission-critical services for many national broadcasters and numerous high profile sporting events such as the Olympic Games, F1, as well as World and European Championships in almost every major sport.

With the Hego Group involved in thousands of live events each year, this gives us the extensive knowledge, experience and confidence in our staff and solutions to deliver whatever, wherever and whenever required.

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