Traditional forms of advertising are fast becoming defunct. The generic TV commercial is on borrowed time while the poster billboard is more or less no more. Interactive ads are stealing the limelight and they're demanding attention.  

Land Rover’s interactive version of William Boyd’s novel, The Vanishing Game, subtly placed the Land Rover Defender front and centre of the piece, but Skoda’s latest ad, Fight for Attention, engages viewers in a completely original way.

Using pupil-tracking technology, the advert measures the way in which the viewer interacts with a 90-second long, spilt-screen film. The ad presents the viewer with two cars, a blue Fabia on the left and a white Fabia on the right, that vie for your attention. At the end of the journey, viewers are shown an infographic which lets them know which car held their concentration for longer and what details they missed.  

Created by London agency 18 Feet & Rising, this is the first piece of advertising to use eye-tracking technology. In an industry that relies so heavily on keeping people invested and engaged, eye-tracking could prove to be an important tool to gauge and interpret audience reactions.   In a similar vein, Studio XO have developed a new sensory wristband that will enable brands and artists to track users’ emotional states, collect data and tailor services and experiences for both individuals and large audiences.