Those interactive ads from Minority Report are basically real now

Part of the Idea Factory, our special report on innovation

Minority Report
(Image credit: Facebook.com/Minority Report)

Billboards, once the advertising medium of choice for roadside fast food restaurants and car dealerships, are getting a 21st century makeover.

Thanks to tools like facial recognition and motion tracking, more and more companies are turning these stationary placards into interactive and entertaining banners that make passersby strain their necks for a double-take. One of the most impressive campaigns came from British Airways in 2013, when the airline charmed us with its award-winning "Magic of Flying" campaign at Heathrow. Here, a few more recent examples of ingenious interactive ads found across the world:

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Jessica Hullinger

Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.