r/whatisit • u/themoonwillrise • 1d ago

New, what is it? What is this device these people are wearing?

Gallery image

Gallery image

1.3k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

101 comments sorted by

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1.1k

u/coolranchdoritoz 1d ago

Looks like they are displaying whatever is on their back. Like a portable billboard.

223

u/YouArentReallyThere 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/7bEpr3NIPNY0E

7

u/Sad-Condition5542 1d ago

What's this from?

44

u/DieVersion99 1d ago

Bladerunner?

7

u/Sad-Condition5542 1d ago

Right, thanks!

8

u/Unable_Security_4852 1d ago

Albuquerque NM. Balloon Fiesta. Past week.

-3

u/Loudestbough 12h ago

Thats not here in Albuquerque.

66

u/wetbungus 1d ago

This Die Hard with a Vengeance remake is going to be wild

18

u/Cheesypenguinz 1d ago

It's also projecting it on the wall in front of them

15

u/brattyginger83 1d ago

Brought to you by Carl's Jr

10

u/AgrippaDaYounger 1d ago

But why? The projection isn't even that big? Could it not be engineered to have the projection behind the operator so they can interact with interested parties? Is this just a way to skirt advertising laws?

180

u/Eddie_Bernays 1d ago

Digital version of the walking sandwich board ad. Good work, if you can find it.

27

u/abugghaus7 1d ago

And some people still claim technology won't replace good old-fashioned bluecollar workers!

36

u/HabitualEnthusiast 1d ago

so their signs got heavier and harder to read

6

u/abugghaus7 1d ago

I suppose the upside... management gave them toilet breaks whenever they want them... not sure who has to empty out the butt box though....

237

u/CasanovaF 1d ago

What was wrong with a spinning arrow sign?!!! I hate this timeline.

48

u/FecalDUI 1d ago

Too much skill involved

5

u/kycatfan8373 18h ago

You'll shoot your eye out kid.

5

u/WhereCanIFind 1d ago

Too many decapitations.

3

u/Turbodemokrat 19h ago

We don't talk about the decapitations anymore and you know why!

2

u/ThatsA104 3h ago

I hate those guys.

476

u/No_Arachnid6493 1d ago

The future careers of all corpo-serfs (anyone not in the 1%).

99

u/philharmonicfartbox 1d ago

29

u/No_Arachnid6493 1d ago

"What are you gonna spend your human-billboard credits on?"
"Oooh, I saw some really choice looking reconstituted protein rations advertised on another guy's holo-ad! Guaranteed 100% arthropod! Thought I might splurge before my permanent transfer to the protein foundry next month, get an idea what it is I'm gonna be making!
It's so kind of the CEO to allow we lowly cogs to transfer to light duty when we're injured or grow too feeble. I'm really excited to switch to the retirement-grade work schedule, but honestly, I have no idea what I'll do with all the free time, working a mere 70 hours a week.
Maybe I'll find some hobby labor to do! Still, I wish we could still communicate with our former billet-mates, after the transition. I don't want to permanently incommunicado, but I guess that's the price of such an easy life.
And, hey, I'll get to talk to Old George, again! I'm sure he'll show me the retirement ropes. Anyway, I have to go bathe in preparation my transfer. The gave me this amazing new body wash! It's called 'Mary Naday.' It smells amazing, just like the 1%-ers restaurant district does, after the Annual Retirement Ceremony! I guess right now, I still sti k like a peasant, but with that special skin soap, I'll fit right in, guys!"

4

u/philharmonicfartbox 1d ago

Omg why does this not seem farfetched at this point?

1

u/No_Arachnid6493 13h ago

Influencers: "ngl soylent green is lk amazing 🗿 it's delicious and easy to chew and has all the vitamins the human body needs 💀 ya boi is glazing s green +200 aura"

39

u/Oops_All_Bans 1d ago

15

u/No_Arachnid6493 1d ago

Oh, man, wouldn't that be nice?

60

u/AwayYam199 1d ago

This episode of Black Mirror sucks.

6

u/He_Beard 1d ago

Time to roll out the pig

5

u/beardedsilverfox 1d ago

We elected it

3

u/reasonably_insane 1d ago

How can I switch the channel?

1

u/coufling 10h ago

At least its projecting from their wangs

52

u/Prestigious-Print461 1d ago

This is the projection man advertising! They have screens at the back and projection in the front.

Sauce: https://www.nationalexperiential.com/street-level-activations

22

u/ChoadMcGillicuddy 1d ago

screens at the back and projection in the front

The mullet of advertising

12

u/MobiusDie 1d ago

I guess if it's physically on a person in an area you don't expect, you're "forced" to look at it and the projector just reinforces it further.

Banner towing just doesn't do it anymore as everyone's head is down these days 😆 

4

u/SecondOfCicero 1d ago

Banner towing has gotta be wildly expensive these days

2

u/MobiusDie 1d ago

Avgas (100 low lead) lags way behind gas and diesel prices because the inventory doesn't move as fast.

3

u/heypaulp 22h ago

Look how depressingly still the guys wearing the projectors are forced to stand to not disrupt the integrity of the image. So not only are they just human advertisements, they’re not even allowed to move like humans anymore. Really gotta drive home who the peasants are and who the corporate overlords are, huh?

1

u/Da12khawk 22h ago

A.sandwich board?

1

u/Prestigious-Print461 18h ago

Effectively digital sandwich board

116

u/Escorbunny 1d ago

Walking ads: "walking billboards", "digital backpacks" or "Look Walkers"

17

u/Fuzzy-Concentrate-24 1d ago

WTF 😄😄 didn’t know this was a thing

26

u/DiverBackground6038 1d ago

Walking billboard. Streamers/influences will get paid to walk around with them while live streaming.

20

u/kakallas 1d ago

The copy for these are so hilarious: “with the ability to go directly to where the people are to be face to face with them for the ultimate experience,” as these zombies stand here staring at the wall lmao. Yeah. Ultimate experience. 

17

u/AnotherDamnTransAlt 1d ago

A sign of the fucking end times?

Looks like a protector/screen set up for people to walk around as adverts. I know we have had “guy wearing sandwich board” for a long time, but this feels mighty dystopian.

10

u/Lightnin-Bug 1d ago

They are Devo.

7

u/BXhippo 1d ago

Looks like they are promoting dos equis on the wall in front of them

8

u/Xen235 1d ago

A slave device

8

u/MiloSnow 1d ago

Imagine trying to take a break from technology and walking around your city and some guy is just following you projecting ads in front of your feet.

8

u/Razing_Phoenix 1d ago

This is another example of the movie Idiocracy becoming real life. Brought to you by Carls Jr.

7

u/CartersXRd 1d ago

Projectors.

8

u/CruisingForDownVotes 1d ago

Beavis Christ. Are they living billboards?

5

u/areyouserious2562 1d ago

Oh hey, its Albuquerque.

Also fancy backpacks that run ads.

4

u/Tha_REAL_BROBS 1d ago

they are pissing out Dos Equis ads

4

u/reddituculous66 1d ago

Everything is merely a commodity. This sucks

5

u/WaffleHouseGladiator 1d ago

MANPADS: man portable advertisement display

14

u/Cultural-Pickle-4977 1d ago

Fart collector.

3

u/hailsa10 1d ago

Typing Of The Dead??

3

u/Moneylover251 1d ago

Cyberpunk 2077 NPC gameplay right there

3

u/Generaal_Aarswater 1d ago

Not sure but i dont remember this episode of the tellietubbies.

3

u/BearsAreCrying 1d ago

"When I grow up I want to be a walking billboard "

3

u/millymillymillymilly 1d ago

Do they have to stand in the bike lane

3

u/a_duck_in_past_life 1d ago

Maniac (2018) has something like this. Dystopic as fucking hell.

2

u/East-Psychology7186 1d ago

Some sort of projector.

2

u/gotoline10 1d ago

That's the new Chickfila drive through.

2

u/MNnocoastMN 1d ago

I didnt expect it to be a Dos Equis ad.

2

u/franky_wish 1d ago

Shout out abq!

2

u/Lithiyum1 23h ago

I thought it was cosplay for that one typing game with the awful voice acting. I don't actually know the title, just that it's memed on a lot.

2

u/tesrachan 23h ago

Typing of the Dead, where they had sega dreamcasts strapped to their backs!

2

u/Ferral_McQueasy 15h ago

Naively, I was hoping these were mobile gaming setups. Like you could go play in public with a friend or something. I don’t know why, everyone just plays on thier phones or handhelds anyways.

2

u/Fewtslym 1d ago

flarp conductor

1

u/Educational-Rule1635 1d ago

Advertising or art project. Can you give some context of where and when you saw this?

1

u/Fragrant_Turnip_9946 1d ago

All I know for sure is that the design is very human.

1

u/Frequent_Athlete3091 1d ago

It’s the glitch mob.

1

u/Dry_Play_7632 1d ago

for a second, i thought it was ODM gear from AOT. anyone too ?

1

u/kerrymti1 1d ago

Well, since they are projecting an image onto the wall...I would say they are projectors.

1

u/eastsacwrackshack 1d ago

They are projecting on the wall, also, right?

1

u/Mr-Brown-Is-A-Wonder 1d ago

It seems incredibly self evident.

1

u/raeoflight85 1d ago

Wouldn't they have to worry about this shining in someone's eyes? Most projectors have warnings

1

u/Slight-Excitement-37 1d ago

McDonald's mobile ordering

1

u/Magic_phil 1d ago

Twat pack

1

u/benitosbenito 1d ago

projector

1

u/WawaWeeWaaWu 1d ago

New Mexico? Balloon fiesta?

1

u/bigtoeupmyass 1d ago

Looks like those billboard backpacks

1

u/tudza 1d ago

Instant sterility inducers.

1

u/Uzi_Osbourne 1d ago

They're obviously not projectors

1

u/Apophis_p 1d ago

They look like they are staring at a pepa pig mural

1

u/Fine-Comparison-2949 20h ago

Saw these guys in Miami a few weeks ago. They just show this stuff on the wall and some other guy records a video of them showing these wall ads.

1

u/bobymob 11h ago

A beer advertisement

1

u/Academic-Snow9642 8h ago

I think you can use it to make them fight each other

-1

u/BigDankEnergy420 1d ago

Looks fairly obvious to anyone with eyes 🤔

0

u/Greedy-Pirate7749 1d ago

Russian voting system

0

u/rupert0331 1d ago

Walking dildos.

1

u/No_Arachnid6493 1d ago

Hate to be that guy, but these are tek-nik-li a subspecies of the Western Dildo, common name Pileated deebag.

0

u/ChoadMcGillicuddy 1d ago

What happens if you're a pedestrian and look directly into the light? Can't be good for your eyes. Are they advertising eye doctors?

0

u/why-am-i-here_again 1d ago

is something projected on the wall?