LAUSR

Abstract Digital signage in public spaces is generally silent. However, the emission of sound with the aim of generating recallability produces noise, which can be uncomfortable for passersby in the surrounding space, resulting in a loss of acoustic comfort. In this paper, we implement an On-Demand pinpoint audio system in which sound is delivered only to one person, and only the sound of the advertisement that attracts the person’s attention is played. By applying this system to passersby, this paper examines the system’s influence on advertisement recallability and acoustic comfort. Additionally, we detect the categories of advertisements affecting the advertisement recallability and acoustic comfort when digital signs emit sound. Through experiments with 30 participants, acoustic comfort is maintained and On-Demand System can reduce noise level compared to loudspeaker. In addition, we collected participants’ self-reported recallabilities and analyzed by advertising category. These results show that music-dominating advertisements presented by the On-Demand System were more recallable than silent and other advertisement categories. These results indicate the possibility of personalization of the advertising information and the perceptual spaces, even if the individuals are in public spaces.