Stepping On Interactive Ads.

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Author: O'Loughlin, SandraAnderson, Diane

Negotiations for quarters can be tough. If you've ever been to a movie theater or a mall, you've heard kids beg to play videogames. But coming soon to a theater near you are games little ones can stomp and jump on for free, because brands are paying to add logos to the action.

Reactrix is rolling out a network of interactive display spaces to 150 Simon Properties and Loews Cineplexes locations. Reactrix projects images and games onto floors of heavily trafficked areas. The company was founded after former Google employee Matt Bell devised the system to entertain partygoers at raves.

The Centers for Disease Control in February is extending its Yellow Ball campaign against childhood obesity with a street soccer game on Reactrix spaces. The ball game promotes the verbnow.com Web site. The CDC liked Reactrix because it got youngsters excited about being active.

"We want to be everywhere kids are," said Lori Asbury, creative lead at CDC who bought ads in 110 locations. Starcom pitched Reactrix to Asbury because of its high brand recall.

Reaching consumers isn't as easy these days. Just ask Kimber Sterling, who once headed up ad sales at TiVo. "The marketplace is looking for alternatives that break the mold," said Sterling, now vp-marketing at Reactrix. "Brands want to engage consumers rather than jam messages down their throats."

Program: Yellow Ball, www.verbnow.com

Marketer: CDC, Atlanta, Ga.

Agency: Starcom, Chicago Key

Players: CDC: Lori Asbury, creative lead; Reactrix: Kim Sterling, vp-marketing;

Starcom: Dan Kopec, media director

PHOTO (COLOR): Let's get physical: Reactrix draws kids into the CDC's Yellow Ball campaign against obesity.

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By Sandra O'Loughlin and Diane Anderson