South London bar installs ‘hands-free’ video games for urinals.

The Exhibit bar in Balham unveiled the world’s first urinals to feature hands-free video games controlled exclusively by visitors’ streams.

At a launch event at the bar in November, the product was revealed by the company behind the idea, Captive Media (http://www.captive-media.co.uk/).

Male visitors to The Exhibit will be able to play one of three games that test the accuracy of their aim. Gents can control the games simply by moving their stream left and right. Tapping-in to men’s innate competitiveness, scores can be posted to an online leader board and to Twitter.

As well as giving The Exhibit’s customers a fun new experience, the bar’s owners can expect the system to help their business. Interspersed with the games, the screens carry promotions for the bars offers, specials, or forthcoming events.  Evidence from a four month pre-launch trial in a Cambridge bar showed that Captive Media boosted footfall, created local ‘buzz’ and had a significant impact on sales of the products promoted.

For brands that advertise prior to and during the games, it’s a unique opportunity – around a minute long – to engage young men out socializing: a notoriously hard market to reach.

“It’s taken three years of research and development to get to this point,” says Captive Media director Mark Melford. “The reaction to the units so far has been incredible – it’s just so much fun.”

Captive Media will roll-out the product across selected bars from early 2012.

“We already had a huge amount of interest in the units from bars, pubs, exhibition centres and retail outlets across the country and overseas – even though we’ve been trying to keep a lid on it,” says Captive Media cofounder Gordon MacSween.

“It’s a tough time for bars and pubs currently. This product offers customers something fun, and unlike anything they’ve seen before. Those are two good reasons to go out for a drink at a time when so many are opting to stay in”