Tesco uses face detection to target ads in gas stations

Tesco is set to introduce facial recognition technology at certain gas stations to target ads to its customers standing at the counter to pay.

Reported in BBC, Tesco has contracted the screens from Amscreen. According to the report, the new digital ad screens contain a camera which will estimate age and gender to target its ads.

The company is specific to point out that the systems won’t record data and won’t specifically identify people – other than by gender and age. This is pretty common for ad targeting systems and is something that is becoming increasingly prevalent in retail settings.

Reported previously, Amscreen recently teamed up with Quividi to incorporate the company’s face tracking technology into Amscreen products. It’s unclear if the Amscreen technology being deployed throughout Tesco gas stations is a product of this Quividi integration, though it’s likely, based on the timing of the two announcements.

As we’ve discussed extensively on BiometricUpdate.com, face coding and face detection technologies are quickly finding their spot in retailers and marketers’ toolboxes.

Coca-Cola and Unilever have just begun using facial coding to measure ad effectiveness.

GfK also recently upgraded its ad testing system and is looking to include new emotional recognitions.

Real-time systems such as the one created between Quividi and Amscreen are also gaining traction in the market.  NEC has recently announced the North American launch of its facial recognition product aimed at retailers, called NeoFace.  This service allows retailers to profile customers to estimate gender, age and frequency of shopping.

Almax, an Italian mannequin maker has also recently introduced the EyeSee, a mannequin that watches customers and uses facial recognition to log age, gender and race.

Article Topics

face  |  facial recognition  |  retail biometrics  |  targeted ads