Adaptive video advertising using EAS pedestals or similar structure

1. A system for directed advertising in a retail store environment, comprising:

at least one sensor that captures information that facilitates identification of at least one trait associated with a customer located proximate to the at least one sensor;

a video display device integrated into an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) pedestal disposed on a first major surface of the EAS pedestal, the video display device being visible to the customer proximate the sensor;

a camera arranged to capture a scene that faces a second major surface of the EAS pedestal opposed to the first major surface, and communicate the captured scene to the video display device to facilitate camouflaging the EAS pedestal by causing the EAS pedestal to appear to be transparent;

a processing system:

in communication with the at least one sensor, the video display device, and the camera, and

operative to:

receive, from the at least one sensor, the information that facilitates identification,

determine the at least one trait,

select content to be displayed on the video display device based at least in part on the at least one trait, and

communicate the selected content to the video display device; and

wherein the video display device is further operative to:

display the communicated selected content, and

display the communicated captured scene in an absence of communicated selected content.

2. The system according to 1 , wherein the at least one trait is selected from a group consisting of an identity of the customer, a travel direction of the customer, and a demographic characteristic of the customer.

3. The system according to 2 , wherein the at least one sensor is a video camera, and the information that facilitates identification comprises a facial image of the customer.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor is a wireless network interface node.

5. The system according to 2 , wherein the demographic characteristic comprises an age, sex, and physical size of the customer.

6. The system according to 2 , further comprising a plurality of traffic sensors situated at traffic detection locations within the retail environment, wherein the plurality of traffic sensors are configured to communicate to the processing system customer traffic information at the various detection locations, and wherein the processing system selects the content selection based in part on the customer traffic information.

7. The system according to 2 , further comprising an inventory control system which determines an inventory condition associated with a plurality of products offered for sale in the retail environment, wherein the processing system selects the content selection based in part on the inventory condition of one or more of the plurality of products.

8. The system according to 2 , wherein the content selection comprises a customer greeting which includes a specific reference which is unique to the customer.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is integrated into the EAS pedestal.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the content selection is further based on information indicating that an active security tag has been detected by the EAS pedestal.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the display of the content selection is interrupted when an active security tag has been detected by the EAS pedestal.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the displayed content selection is dynamically changed in response to the EAS pedestal's detection of an active security tag.