Hewlett Packard has a new ad campaign where they have created a printed "hole standee" and installed it in a public place. The overall visual image is that of the environment looking like it is printed on paper with a hole the size of a person ripped through it. Interesting, I thought. It literally is in the environment, is dimensional and engages the audience. But, I ponder, could they have taken it one step further?

Here are some thoughts; post instructions for making your own HP paper "portal" (OK Star Treck fans, there is something to this one)  on the web and challenge others to create their own and submit photos online, maybe it is a contest. Or, it may work for a "where in the world is Matt Lauer" type of thing with him peaking out the hole from various parts of the world (maybe for a travel agency, implying that major world locations aren't out of reach. From a religous standpoint, perhaps it is an image of Jesus or an angel staring out at you though the hole, would you be a bit more patient if you saw that while navigating the comercial Christmas beast we call "black friday". For a realtor, maybe it is a sign that showes a future real estate development as though the current scenery is just a paper print and that the reality of the new development is waiting just beyond that paper. Would that help a person envision the dreams of the future better?

 While, I am not sure about the tie to HP, maybe it is just an image builder to get people to start thinking of them as interactive and innovative, if that is the ads are effective. But it certainly did get me thinking, and that is worth something.

 See another here: http://creativity-online.com/work/view?seed=3df5591c