Anyone turning off the roundabout at Žirmūnų g. 1 Street in Vilnius towards the IKI market could be forgiven for thinking they were in Tokyo or New York. Giant drinks cans from an international soda manufacturer seem to fly out of the store's façade at the visitor. IKI has been using the two digital screens as a 3D advertising space since May 2024 - a first in the Baltic country.

According to Christoph Bodner, who is currently still responsible for retail media at IKI, the idea of using the screen for 3D advertising had been around for some time. However, there was a lack of suitable companies that could provide the right content. A major player was needed and was finally found. A pilot project that paid off: "The placement with Red Bull was the door opener. After that, other major manufacturers and advertisers approached us and booked the screens," says Christoph Bodner.

The 3D screens are an example of how IKI wants to utilise retail media in Lithuania. Gamification is the keyword here: "We want to play with the visual possibilities of the screens. For us, they are more than just a digital poster. We want to use them for interaction or for attention-grabbing formats," says Bodner.

And the potential goes far beyond 3D advertising. For example, there are screens with QR codes that customers can scan. The bonus for customers? In future, they can simply play games on the screens to bridge any waiting times and win vouchers. Another idea is a screen that shows very short sequences and makes it look like a window. For example, a sequence can be continued in a neighbouring screen or the impression can be created that a protagonist is knocking on a "window".

"In Lithuania, the affinity for modern technologies is very high. That's why we get a lot of approval for our ideas from suppliers - whether global players or local companies. We want to use the screens to move away from linear communication to one-on-one communication. Customers should be able to interact and be mobilised," emphasises Christoph Bodner.

IKI has developed a clear customer journey for this purpose. Suppliers can reach customers with different advertising formats at various points, from the app to screens at and in the stores to checkout at the till.

Consumers can also book advertising time on the screens, for example to send personal messages to other customers. Whether it's a marriage proposal, love greetings or birthday wishes - they can all be easily placed online on the screens in the store. "One of our partners was so enthusiastic about this option that he wanted to use it to congratulate his wife on their wedding anniversary," explains Christoph Bodner. This is what love greetings from the supermarket can look like.