3D Printing Yields 3D Advertising

Among all the recent technological developments, there is one piece of seemingly archaic technology that has remained unchanged. I am talking about printers, of course. We've all been there: on the verge of completely losing our grip on sanity when the printer decides to give out, jam, or simply not follow orders minutes before a deadline. Finally, some developments are being made in the printing industry, although not necessarily in the direction we previously imagined.

3D printing, currently popular with architects and prototype designers, is a new technology that creates physical items by layering raw materials on top of each other based on a digitally design. Beginning in 2013, this innovation will revolutionize industries including manufacturing, retail, environmental, and health among many others.

Once 3D printers move from the hands of manufacturers and designers to the those of every individual household, many market changes will ensue. Soon, consumers need only to download a set of data to their computers in order to own any customizable object of their liking. Once consumers purchase the codes, they will be able to print the items on their personal 3D printer and interact with the products in their home that very day. Retailers may no longer need to sell physical products at all, but only their data codes.

The advertising industry is likely one of the first that will bear the weight of the change this advent will bring, so it is important that we prepare in advance for the coming shift. Here are some of my predictions on the impact 3D printing will have on the ad industry:

1. Since online shopping is likely to become even more prevalent as this invention popularizes, digital advertising will, as predicted, become increasingly important. Luckily, this prediction has been foreseen and the industry is well on its way to optimizing for the digital world.

2. Opportunities for promotional giveaways will increase and advertisers will be able to give away not only free access codes for branded items but for the products they are promoting as well. This greatly reduces economies of scale and eliminates wasteful practices of bulk purchases.

3. Not only will video production be completely revolutionized with the ability to easily create model sets and items, but the capabilities in user experience will grow as well. Google does a great job employing 3D printing to enhance user experience in the "Uncover Your World" campaign. Below is a YouTube video which sheds light on the behind-the-scenes process of creating the ads.