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Kiosk transports shoppers on a Philippines adventure

Interactive digital signage kiosk takes mall shoppers rock climbing and scuba diving in the Philippines.

May 22, 2014 by Christopher Hall — w, t

Participating in something trumps merely watching something happen.

Physical action and participation adds to the engagement and involvement in what one sees, and that's what the Philippines Tourism Board is hoping for with a traveling digital signage kiosk that lets people see — and interact with — the natural beauty offered in the island country.

The Philippines Tourism Board's "It's More Fun in the Philippines" kiosk is intended to "send a message that the destination is back and ready for tourists," according to an announcement from kiosk designer Pearl Media. The digital signage kiosk invites travelers to explore the Philippines via interactive adventures, and it also showcases street scenes, beaches and towns from the Philippines.

The branded kiosk tells the story that "It's More Fun in the Philippines" through a series of interactive experiences of rock climbing and scuba diving activated by gesture technology, according to the announcement.

Visitors who “travel” at the kiosk also can be entered into a sweepstakes to win an iPad, one per market. They'll also receive an action photo/postcard of their experience as a souvenir. The photo can be shared instantly on the visitor's social media profiles as well as on the Philippines Tourism board website.

"Immersive kiosks are an entertaining way to communicate the brand message that the Philippines is a destination worth considering," Pearl Media CEO Josh Cohen said in the announcement. "We designed this experience to provide potential travelers with the opportunity to explore unique attractions/destinations within the Philippines and create a memorable experience that could influence their vacation plans."

The Pearl Media team created, built and installed the interactive kiosk that is activated through gesture-based technology. As consumers step up to the branded station, they will see HD content of attractions in the Philippines. The virtual travelers will be prompted to take their Philippines adventure by either rock climbing or scuba diving. The adventure ends when their photo is snapped and superimposed into the scenery to create a postcard. The traveler can then retrieve their "postcard" on their phone and share it with friends, according to the announcement.

The immersive kiosk started out its tour of shopping destinations this month in Chicago's Water Tower Place, where it will be on display through May 27 before heading off to Los Angeles, where it will be on display at the Beverly Center June 2-15. It then travels to San Francisco (Stonestown Galleria, June 23-July 6); Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Aberdeen Center, July 14-27); and Toronto (Toronto Outlet Center, August 4-17).

The activation originated at New York City's Time Warner Center in October, but was pulled because of the typhoon that hit the Philippines, according to a Pearl Media spokeswoman. The Tourism Board decided to relaunch the campaign now to help drive tourism and revenue and to signal to consumers that the destination is back and ready to welcome them, she said in an email to Digital Signage Today. "When it was pulled the kiosk had over a 10-percent email submission (branded postcard takeaway), which was above average for an interactive campaign," she said. 

And since its relaunch the kiosk has continued to attract participants and show that the Philippines is back in business.

"The gesture-interactive capabilities are a natural fit to showcase the environmental beauty and physical activities that the Philippines Tourism Board wants to promote," Cohen said in an email. "Consumers have fun with it, which fits in perfectly with the brand's messaging and is true to the tagline: 'It's More Fun in the Philippines.'"

Watch a video taken during the Time Warner Center deployment, below:

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