Three Dimensions Grab Attention Better than Two...

Lookin' like a rock star in my CR-Z 3-D glasses...

It’s every advertisers’ dilemma: trying to stand out in an increasing soup of media clutter. As engaging the consumer’s attention continues to shift toward the web and social media, print advertising has all but been written off as so last decade. While declining revenues at magazines and newspapers back this theory up, print ads still have their place.

When a new magazine arrives, crisp and unwrinkled in my mailbox, the first thing I do is rip out all those annoying little cards. You know, the ones that advertise a two-year subscription for the price of one, mail in now for half-off Viagra—that sort of thing. In my April 2011 edition of Motor Trend I discovered a perforated insert that was a little different, however.

Seeing the world in the third dimension is all the rage now. Step aside 1080p LCD high-def television set; the techo-geeks are all after 3D TVs now, even if the full experience requires Buddy Holly glasses. So in the latest Motor Trend there was a pair of tear-out 3D glasses. One cellophane lens is blue, the other is red. They are for viewing 3D photos in an article about the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C. On the glasses themselves Honda bought some advertising space followed by a two-page spread for the new Honda CR-Z hybrid hatchback. The ad—you guessed it—is in 3D when you put on the glasses and hold approximately three feet from your head while viewing at a 30-degree angle.

How did it work out? In a word—awful. The blurry mishmash of blue and red lines visible to the naked eye doesn’t suddenly drive off the page when the wonder shades are put on. I can’t stand to look through colored cellophane for more than a few minutes before I get a headache. The ad, like any good advertising today, redirects viewers to a special website to watch a video in 3D and get more information on the CR-Z. The third dimension actually comes to life a little better on the computer screen (when wearing the glasses) than it did on the printed page. An intearactive app is also available at the iTunes store and on the webpage.

My point? It’s still possible to be relevant in print advertising, but it’s just a small tool in an ever-crowding toolbox. Honda’s team did a great job in combining print, web, and social/mobil media into a cohesive package. And while the print 3D viewing experience was lame, I think this one accomplished its purpose. It makes print interactive right off the page. It gives readers something to physically play with—a hook to really grab their attention—and it proves that there’s still a place for print advertising, even if just to ultimately send the consumer into the realm of new media.