Shopping cart media: two visions of the future

The recent Springwise newsletter shares a new breed of smart shopping cart that displays text ads on a small screen right on the handle.  Its simplicity allows retailers to run messages for one store or for a whole chain, and the retailer can easily change messages for dayparts and clearance items.  It's manufactured by Modstream, a New York based company that claims:

Modstream’s messages are so powerful that national retailers have reported sales lifts of featured products up to 35%! These extraordinary sales results are possible because Modstream requires no change in shopper’s behavior.

No buttons to push or screens to navigate — shoppers push their cart and see your messages! And, since Modstream resides on the shopping cart handles, retailers and advertisers have 30-40 minutes to engage customers every time they shop.

This innovation seems a bit like Google text ads to me.  Low-tech text - but located where it counts.  As both a supporter and critic of new media placements in our lives, I am mixed about this one as usual.  But as long as it's quiet and shoppers can choose to ignore it, Modstream could be a win-win for both shopper and retailer.

Compare Modstreams' cart to one at the opposite end of the spectrum: the beautifully redesigned shopping cart with ad space on the side.  It looks exactly like a Volkswagen Beetle - if the Beetle were wrapped in a giant ad.  It's called the MarkitCart.

Two polarized examples in the evolution of mobile shopping containers. 

What do you think?  Are cart handles like the Internet search dashboard - best used for fast and readable low-concept messages?  Does Modstream's technology hit the sweet spot somewhere between interruption and engagement?  Does the MarkitCart take it too far?

Comments

[Marnie]

If I had a choice of pushing around either one of these carts, I definitely would not push round the Pepsi cart. It screams, "look at me!!" But on the flip side, everyone else in the store would probably be pushing the Pepsi cart around too. While the cart looks astetically appealing, there is already a ton of noise inside stores and could eventually turn into wallpaper. Probably works, but annoying.

The low-tech text, non-intrusive message ads on the shopping cart handle is interesting. It'd be great if it could go beyond just Cents off coupons and perhaps provide some meal ideas while I shop. I wouldn't mind that.