Late last month, Nike once again shook up the marketing landscape with a jaw-dropping new 3D billboard in Japan. It's a concept that has turned the traditional billboard into something almost out of this world.

The move has once again elevated Nike as a leader in marketing. Augusta University's Dr. Christopher McKinney, associate vice president for innovation commercialization, answers a few questions for anyone looking to know more about this marketing innovation.

Are you surprised how fast the landscape is changing when it comes to emerging media?

Not at all. The increases both in computing power and graphics processing unit power are transforming what we can do. Now that the door of opportunity is more widely open, we’re seeing great new ways to use that power in marketing.

The new Nike 3D billboard seems to be a game changer when it comes to advertising. Do you see this gaining traction as a trend that will continue? Do you see them going even further with this and how so?

I do see this as a trend that will continue and even accelerate. Nike has thrown down the gauntlet; others will be trying to “one-up” Nike.

Beyond the graphic elements, we’ll see ever more clever uses of 3D sound in some marketing applications. In more traditional billboard settings, the brightness, clarity and realism will improve to the point where it will be increasingly difficult to differentiate animation from what looks like a real-life image.

The advent of CG in general is always changing. What's next in that realm?

With the growth of virtual reality and augmented reality, we’ll see increasing applications in the home and workplace that take advantage of the VR/AR technologies. This will be especially important in areas such as education, accommodation of disabilities and entertainment.

What does the future hold?

In the next decade, we likely will see more tailored marketing using these CG-mediated technologies.

Marketing is an ever-evolving tool used by businesses of every size and in every community. If you are a reporter looking to learn more about what's next in marketing, then let us help.

McKinney specializes in marketing and commercializing innovative new technologies. He is available to speak with media; simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.