ABC using 'Flash' technology to promote upcoming series

ABC has begun printing strange codes in certain print ads that incorporate the Internet and even 3-D technology to entice viewers to watch the premiere of its upcoming thriller, "FlashForward."

According to an article on Variety.com, "When users hold the black-and-white codes up to a webcam, the picture on their computer screen turns into a 3-D ad for 'FlashForward,' featuring photos from the show. And if clicked, the pics turn into minute-plus clips from the show."

"It appears to play right out of the ad," said Darren Schillace, ABC Entertainment advertising/marketing veep. "Once you watch all the videos, it's a 10-minute experience. In the normal world, you'd never spend 10 minutes with a print ad." Dubbed "augmented reality," the experience was produced by ABC inhouse with help from its Web team.

Publications such as Wired, Popular Mechanics and other gaming magazines that cater to a technology-savvy audience is where the ads will materialize. Users can also visit the "FlashForward"-related Web site, Jointhemosaic.com, to download the ad.

The plot of "FlashForward" focuses on an unexplained incident where the whole world blacks out for a few minutes and catches a glimpse of the future. The thriller stars Joseph Fiennes, who played the acclaimed William Shakespeare in the 1998 Academy Award winning Best Picture, "Shakespeare in Love," Jack Davenport, who has portrayed Commodore James Norrington in all three of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films and John Cho, who portrayed a young Lt. Hikaru Sulu in 2009's "Star Trek" among others.

The show will premiere on Sept. 24 and comes from ABC Studios.

Yet, it seems that ABC is not the only network that is utilizing such up-and-coming technology in their advertising. The Variety.com article explains, "CBS . . . is embedding a paper-thin video player in an ad that will appear in the Sept. 18 issue of Entertainment Weekly."