3D marketing in-store: the floating wow effect with animated products

A sneaker rotating freely in the shop window. A perfume bottle that opens before passersby's eyes. Or a book, flipped through by an invisible hand. Effects like these are eye-catchers for products – and that is exactly what 3D marketing is about. We explain the terms, technologies, and strengths and weaknesses of 3D displays – and why not every 3D marketing installation is a hologram.

The term "hologram" makes us think first of science fiction and space operas. And in retail, almost anything that produces a floating, animated image gets sold as a "hologram." Technically, that's rarely accurate. Behind these images, which catch shoppers' eyes, lie various technologies and physical effects.

An angled glass or film surface reflects a bright video while the dark background visually blends with the room. The illusion originates from theater and was patented as early as 1863. So creating the image doesn't require true light-field reconstruction, just controlled reflection, contrast, and positioning.

Here, an image is created by precisely controlling LEDs on rapidly spinning rotor blades. The eye perceives this as a coherent, floating image. The spatial impression comes mainly from a black background, motion, and shading. At greater viewing distances, sharp side angles, or with incoming light, the effect noticeably weakens.

With transparent LED displays, content appears on a see-through substrate. Compact projection or holo boxes combine projection and reflection in a single housing.

Importantly, for all of these technologies: not all content works equally well. Slowly rotating single objects against a dark background, particle and light effects, or short visual stories work far better than text, tables, or lengthy product information.

A small holo box can be set up almost as a plug-and-play unit, while a large-scale Pepper's Ghost installation in a shop window is an individual store-fitting project. So the installation effort varies widely. Before implementation, it's worth considering:

• Location and viewing distance
• Lighting conditions (direct light or sunlight can significantly weaken the illusion)
• Power supply
• Mounting safety
• Maintenance access

For freely accessible LED fans, a protective housing is also advisable so no one can come into contact with the rotor blades.