The talking window: Will bone conduction technology be used in advertising?

The voice in your head is telling you to drink coffee as soon as you get off the train. But that can’t be true, your brain reasons, you don’t even like coffee. But the voice is telling you to drink some as soon as you can. Are you going out of your mind?

No, it’s just the latest advertising sorcery that might become a reality if a German ad agency has its way. BBDO Germany has developed a transmitter that when placed on train windows, can transmit advertisements, so that it appears that the sound of the ads is coming from inside the listener’s head.

The concept uses bone conduction technology, a technique that transfers sound to the inner ear by passing vibrations through the skull. BBDO Germany showcased the “Talking Window” campaign at the International Festival of Creativity in Cannes in June.

While the ad agency said that it had received “highly encouraging first reactions” from commuters who had tested the concept, there are several others who see this method of advertising as a violation of their right to rest while using public transport.

1) Doze off against the window of a train or bus, and suddenly that voice in your head isn’t a dream or your usual neurotic self — it might be an advertiser

2) Ad agency BBDO Düsseldorf has created a transmitter to make a “talking window” using the technique of Bone Conduction. It uses a transmitter to silently release high-frequency oscillations that your brain will convert into sound.

3) What is bone conduction?

The bones in the skull transmit frequencies to the brain, which then assembles them into sounds you can hear. If you put your head against a window, for example, the glass could send a sound into your head.

4) Bone-conduction technique allows swimmers to listen to music while they swim. Google also plans to use the tech in its glass headset.