KLM launches ‘live hologram bars’ to connect travelling strangers in airports

Published: Tue, 02/12/19

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KLM launches ‘live hologram bars’ to connect travelling strangers in airports

February 12, 2019


[Here’s a clever idea for evoking social presence among travelling strangers; the story is from Standby Nordic; follow the link at the end for a 1:11 minute video. –Matthew]

KLM ‘hologram bars’ launch in Nordics

The airline is connecting complete strangers through its live hologram bars in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the US, UK and Brazil.

Posted by: Howard Jarvis
30 January 2019

Arguably at the forefront of new travel technology ideas, KLM has just answered another “what if?”: What if travellers waiting to board a plane could exchange tips face-to-face with other people heading in the opposite direction?

The Dutch carrier thinks it has the solution. It has built a “bar” where these travellers can meet to exchange local tips – as live holograms.

It is launching its Take-Off Tips campaign with high-tech cabins stationed in Norway, Sweden and Denmark as well as in the US, UK, Brazil.

Using a live connection, customers can chat with a hologram of their counterparts, looking each other straight in the eye to get the best local travel tips.

“Real insights”

“There is no better way to share real cultural insights,” the airline claims, and with the help of a Take-Off Tips bar, passengers can now talk to each other at airports such as Oslo, Rio and Amsterdam – strangers who would not otherwise have ever met.

“In our industry it is such a joy to be able to bring people together time and time again, we rejoice this in our latest campaign themes, and ‘take off tips’ is no exception,” says Natascha van Roode, head of KLM marketing communication.

“We continuously strive to find means to enable contact between customers including new technologies to create memorable experiences.”

The hologram bar connects people in real time by projecting them into an airport on the other side of the world. To reach a wider audience with the idea, KLM has filmed the conversations of travellers heading in opposite directions and made “a short film of the warmest moments”, which can be seen here.


 
 

Managing Editor: Matthew Lombard

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