'Harry Potter-style' video ads to be run inside U.S. paper magazine



The animated newspapers of the Harry Potter books will come a step closer next month with the appearance of the world's first video magazine advert.

America's Entertainment Weekly will contain a wafer-thin screen and mini-speaker that will allow readers to watch a video when the publication is opened.

CBS, the US TV station paying for the advert, said the device would be tough enough to cope with the rough and tumble of printing, binding and delivery.

[caption]

The screens will be no bigger than two inches by 1.5 inches, roughly the size of a mobile phone screen.

The first wave of advertisements will be for American TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory and Two And A Half Men.

New shows will also be previewed, and the soft drink Pepsi will also light up the small screen.

Built-in buttons will allow readers to select which clips they want to watch.

[caption]

How much the screens cost to produce - and how much advertisers will be charged - has not been released, but until the technology becomes more widespread, and cheaper to produce, it is likely to be a costly exercise.

Paul Caine, president of the Time Inc. magazine group that includes Entertainment Weekly, said the ballpark dollar cost for one of the units is in the 'low teens', the Wall Street Journal reported.

He said the cost may come down before the issue comes out.

See video of the screens here

But for advertisers the premium might be worth it, as the adverts are likely to grab the reader's attention.

George Schweitzer, president of CBS's marketing group, said: 'As a rule, 90 per cent of people will say they heard about new programming on television.

'This is the first way we can get video samples into the hands of entertainment enthusiasts off the television screen.'

The screens will appear in selected copies of Entertainment Weekly's September 18 edition.

BBC correspondent Rajesh Mirchandani likened the technology to that used in the 'Daily Prophet' newspaper featured in the Harry Potter books.

Other examples from the world of fiction include 2002's Minority Report, where Tom Cruise goes on the run - and even has to hide from the adverts.

In reality, the world has been inching closer to moving screens - from e-book readers promising to revolutionise book-reading to e-ink screens promising digital newspapers that update constantly.

