(Business 2.0) – Holograms have been a staple of science fiction since George Lucas strapped a pair of Danishes onto Carrie Fisher's head 28 years ago. Now a Danish startup wants to make them a staple of advertising too.

Vizoo, based in Copenhagen, designs eerily lifelike holograms that let marketers project video ads into thin air. Backed by media conglomerate WPP, the two-year-old firm has already created holographic ads for 15 big brands, including Adidas and Heineken. Wireless carrier Vodafone paid Vizoo roughly $80,000 last September to produce video for its concept store in Lisbon, Portugal. The holograms, which featured Portuguese soccer players dribbling balls, drew crowds of thousands.

Vizoo films each ad using a blue-screen-like technique, then projects the images onto a nearly invisible fabric. The result is a life-size illusion that blends into any background. This fall Vizoo is looking to bring the technology to the States, and it's now in talks with several major U.S. clients. Help me, Vizoo, you're my only hope? -- ELIZABETH ESFAHANI