Water Is Life - #FirstWorldProblems

Water Is Life is an non-profit group that works to provide clean water to people in need around the world.  Many people are unaware of the fact that millions of people around the world lack access to clean water.  Faced with the challenge of how to promote this organization and the issue in general , DDB New York developed the #FirstWorldProblems campaign.  The central campaign video highlights the gap between the haves and the have-nots.  Regular Haitians, many of whom are still affected by the 2010 earthquake, are shown reading from tweets with the hashtag #FirstWorldProblems.  For those of you not familiar with the hashtag, it usually contains tweets with trivial problems such as 'I hate it when my phone charger won’t reach my bed.'


In other videos, Haitian are shown responding directly to specific tweets.  Each video also features a call to action to donate now and visit waterislife.com to find out more about the issue.

DDB New York Executive Creative Director Matt Eastwood said he hoped that the campaign would actually eliminate the #FirstWorldProblems hashtag  '#FirstWorldProblems allows its user to self-mock the petty concerns of those in so-called “first world” countries, yet seem strikingly insensitive when compared to real issues across the world.'

The campaign has received some criticism, but I think it's a fantastic example of a) hijacking a hashtag for good and b) taking the idea of personalized responses videos and using them for good (or perhaps shame?)  For me personally, I found it packed a significant emotional punch and made me reconsider the paltry things in life that I occasionally bitch about when many people in the world are unable to meet even their most basic needs.

Additional Articles: Huffington Post

Innovative Music Launches: Ellie Goulding - Digital Signing & Yolanda Be Cool - Recall

It's been amazing to watch the evolution of Google+ Hangout and Hangout Apps over the past year.  Brands, agencies and individuals are constantly coming up with innovative ways to use what's arguably the killer feature of Google+.  Now autograph signing sessions are entering the digital age thanks to Google+ Hangouts.  The idea, which came from the Creative Lab here in London, allowed Ellie Goulding to hold the world's first digital album signing as part of a promotion for her second album.     Using a Wacom tablet, Photoshop and a custom Google+ Hangout app Ellie Goulding talked face-to-face some of her fans from across the world, signed and dedicated an album cover for each them.  Each personalized and signed album cover was them shared with them as a picture on Google+.  I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a common staple of album launches.  It's a fantastic way to bring the real-world experience into the digital space.  Check out the teaser video below and you can also watch a video of the whole Hangout here.


On a separate music related note, the band responsible for the hit song 'We No Speak Americano,' Yolanda Be Cool, has undertaken an interesting campaign/stunt for the launch of their second record.  They're issuing a recall of their hit song and calling on DJs, radio stations and people all across the world to destroy all copies of the song.  This goes beyond just words as they've also removed the song from iTunes (at least in Australia) and removed download links from their website & Facebook.  Instead they're offering fans, etc. a free replacement track from their new album.  It's a pretty damn funny idea considering how overplayed the song has been.  It's a nice stunt to leverage past success into what I'm sure they'll hope will be success for their upcoming album.

Check out the fake press conference below, which is quite funny.

Bodyform Responds - The Truth

Many of you have probably already seen this as it's been rapidly making the rounds on the interwebs.  To truly appreciate the response video below from maxipad brand, Bodyform, you need a bit of background.  Two weeks ago a guy named Richard Neill posted a rant on the Bodyform Facebook wall.  As mashable reported, his rant went viral and gathered more than 40,000 likes in 24-hours.  Have a read at the rant below.

Usually that'd be the end of the it...a brief blurb in the never ending story of the Internet.  But wait...there's more!  Bodyform (and their agencies Carat & Rubber Republic) created a brilliant video addressed to Richard Neill.  They created a fictional CEO, Caroline Williams, who calmly and hilariously responds while apologizing for the lies that Bodyform (and other femcare brands) have perpetuated on the male population through years of advertising.  Check it out below.  It's quite possibly the best response video I've ever seen.  Again, it's great to see brands/agencies being agile and quickly responding as a way of tapping into even the briefest moments of zeitgeist.

Electrolux - Now You're Cooking

The way that people cook at home has been undergoing a revolution over the past few years.  For many people, the recipe book has been replaced by their laptop, phone or tablet.  A host of great cooking apps and content have been created to meet this shift in user behavior.  There are a ton of brands that have gotten into the act, creating recipes, apps, etc. but this latest creation from House Of Radon for Electrolux has me going 'why the hell didn't I think of that!?'

The recipe videos are beautifully shot, but it's one small tweak that makes them standout.  Each of the videos has a 'cooking mode.'  When enabled, cooking mode pauses the video at each of the steps rather than just playing all the way through.  It's a small change and doesn't seem like much, but it perfectly fits with how people cook at home allowing the technology to adapt to the user rather than asking the user to adapt to the technology (eg. constantly rewinding or pausing the video manually).

Unfortunately, the video player they are using is bespoke and I can't seem to embed it here, but see the video capture below.  I also see no reason why this couldn't be done using annotations on YouTube in the future.
Check it out here at the Electrolux - Now You're Cooking tumblr or go directly to one of the video recipes.

via Creativity

BONUS: HIV/AIDS Council Finland

Here's another great PSA, though perhaps not as heavy as the Water Is Life campaign.

Developed by McCann Worldwide for the HIV/AIDS Council of Finland, these TV spots extend on the existing idea from a print campaign back in February.  The payoff is genius. Check it out below:

Other Things I Like (But Don't Have Time To Write Up)

Ragu - Long Day Of Childhood
Barton F. Graf 9000 have been creating a serious of hilarious commercials for Ragu around the idea of a 'Long Day of Childhood' which shows some of the difficult situations children go through (check out this one where a kid walks in on his parents.)  Now they've enlisted the kids made infamous by Charlie Bit My Finger video who lament the poor parenting that led to the video.  Check it out below:



Coke Zero - Unlock The 007 In you
People who bought a Coke Zero in a train station (where?) were challenged to unlock their inner 007 to win tickets for the new James Bond movie Skyfall.



SNCF - Lyon To Brussels
How do you promote a new train route?  In this case SNCF created a magic box allowed passer-bys to 'take a quick look at Brussels' via a magic box connected via Webcam to Brussels where a celebratory band (among other things) awaited viewers.


Jordan CP3.VI: Cut Through LA
Just wow.

Mercedes Benz - #YOUDRIVE

Mercedes, AMV BBDO, & Stink have developed an innovative idea to help launch the new Mercedes Benz A-class.  On Saturday, October 6th viewers are invited to take part in #YOUDRIVE a campaign that's being billed as a social media first (at least in the UK).

Using Twitter, viewers will drive the action of a 3-part story that will be shown during the commercial breaks in the X Factor.  The spots center around a musician and a professional driver who are chased by 'the man' on the way to a secret gig.  In practice users are invited to choose what the characters should do next by voting on Twitter with the hashtag #YOUDRIVE.  Think of it as choose-your-own-adventure on a massive scale and brought into the television experience.  But wait...there's more!  The spots will also direct viewers to the lovely Mercedes Benz YOUDRIVE YouTube channel where they can view the ads as well as create their own story.  The final ad will also show the voting percentage /breakdown for each choice. 

This is quite an effort.  Obviously each of the possible decision paths had to be shot and readied for the voting outcome, but it actually pays of the much bandied about term of social TV viewing.  David George, marketing director of Mercedes-Benz UK, said the new A-Class vehicle represents a "new, younger, more dynamic' & that it's 'a modern Mercedes-Benz that encourages people to do what we know they enjoy – to get involved.'

What I find fascinating about this idea (and 'social TV' in general), is that the creative can't be separated from the media.  In other words, this idea, this execution only works if the media placement is spot on.  In order for this to be a success it needs to run against a TV program that is considering destination viewing, where liveness is important, and where the audience is passionate enough about the show that you can pretty much guarantee that they'll be around for the second spot and ultimately the following week for the third spot.  It's interesting to see how new creative ideas and formats (see the Coke Polar Bears during the Superbowl) emerge around premium programming where the 'liveness' guarantees a large and captive audience.

So check out the trailer below & if you're in the UK you can use this campaign as a good excuse for why you're actually watching X-Factor

Additional Articles: Brand Channel | Campaign

Felbelfin - Amazing Mind Reader Reveals His 'Gift'

I try not to show 'viral' videos too much on this blog.  From a brand perspective they're pretty much a mythical creature and cloud otherwise rational thought around online video.  Simply put, if viral is your strategy, then you don't have one.  That said, there's been one agency that seems to have cracked the code of producing amazing stunt campaigns that also tie back nicely to a single brand proposition and generate a huge response online.  That agency is  Brussels-based Duval Guillaume Modem.  These are the people response for the Carlsberg stunt with bikers in the cinema, as well as the TNT - Push For Drama stunt.

Their latest video is for Felbelfin, a Belgian financial umbrella organization.  As part of their 'Safe Internet Banking' campaign, they employed a 'psychic' with powerful abilities to see into people's lives.  Volunteers were told they were going to take part in a news show then brought into a white tent. Inside sat the psychic, Dave (btw - Dave seems like a rather normal name for a psychic, no?).  These folks tell Dave their names, he does some laying of hands and then starts telling them things that no stranger should know.  The injuries they have, their romantic situation, medical history, bank balance, etc.

Then Dave reveals his trick. A curtain drops & there's a room full of masked researchers on computers looking up the personal details of each person and feeding it to Dave through a hidden earpiece.

The message appears 'Your entire life is online.  And it might be used against you.  Be vigilant.'

Great piece of work for what would normally be a dry and boring message.  Again, hat tip to the guys at Duval Guillaume Modem.

2012 Election Season - 7 Eleven, Jetblue & Blippar

The 2012 presidential election is heating up in the States.  It's been interesting to see how brands are tapping into the interest around the US election.  Most are doing it poorly (I'll ignore those), but some are doing great work.  Three in particular stick out.

JetBlue - Live Free or Fly
I've heard people threaten to leave the US if their candidate doesn't win.  Apparently JetBlue has also heard this claim from both sides of the political spectrum.  They (and their agency, Mullen) have developed JetBlue Election Protection which will give a thousand sore losers the chance to get out of the country (at least temporarily) if their candidate loses.  Users are invited to go to jetblueelectionprotection.com and choose their political party (Democrat or Republican) as well as one of more than a dozen overseas destinations that JetBlue is offering up.  If your candidate loses, JetBlue may send you there.  The site gives you a sense of the current political leanings of the audience showing the polling so far among participants.  JetBlue is also doing their part, reminding people that the best part of Election Protection is to do their civic duty and vote.


7-Eleven - 7-Election
Convenience store giant 7-Eleven is back for the fourth edition of 7-election.  Customers can choose from partisan coffee cups (Romney cups are red, Obama cups are blue).  7-Eleven is then tallying sales for each to predict the outcome of the election.  This is the fourth election that 7-Eleven has done this and in each case it's successfully predicted the winner as well as coming within 1% of the actual outcome.  Unscientific? Yes.  Amazing?  Most definitely.

Check out the slate video about the initiative below and head over to the 7-Election site to see the current results.


Blippar - Blipp A $5 Bill To Donate To Obama
OK, this isn't technically a brand execution, but it's fascinating.  Blippar technology is probably the predominant app used by brands to execute mobile augmented reality experiences.  Blippar is taking a stance and coming out in support of Obama.  They've decided to throw their support and their technology behind Obama in an innovative way.  Fire up the Blippar app, point it at a 5 dollar bill and you can donate $5 directly to Obama's campaign.  The AR experience also has additional features such as the ability to create a picture of you high-fiving Obama, find your nearest campaign office to volunteer your time, listen to Obama speeches, etc.  I wonder if pointing Blippar at a $100 bill fires up a Romney experience?  Anyhow, check it out in action below:

The Friskies

Everyone knows cat videos are huge.  Hell, there are even agencies dedicated purely to catvertising ;-)  So it's not surprise that Friskies has tapped into this infinite well of content and appetite for cat videos by creating...The Friskies!  Billed as the Oscars for Cat Videos, the Friskies is offering a $15,000 Grand Prize for the best new cat video of 2012.  Here's the teaser video:
The only question is why it's taken this long for a brand to do this.  It's extremely fertile ground and a natural fit for Petcare brands.  Actually, I'm also confused as to why the contest isn't being run on YouTube, which again would seem like the natural home for this contest rather than a microsite.

Additional Articles: Fast Company

Dolce & Gabana - Video Comes To Print

Several thousand copies of the October issue of the UK Marie Claire includes a video ad in print.  The double page spread for Dolce & Gabana fragrances feature a 45-second video ad (including sound) which plays when the reader opens the page.  The technology was developed by Americhip and gives advertisers the opportunity to bring their print ads to life.  It's previously been used in Russian Vogue, but this is a UK first.  So is this the start of a wider trend or just a gimmick?  I haven't experienced it for myself, so I haven't a clue, but I'm intrigued by the idea.  See the video capture below that someone else was kind enough to upload to YouTube


On a more low-fi note, I just came across this Cannes winner from Brazil.  Developed by JWT for Coca-Cola FM, it turns a magazine into an iPhone speaker.  At first read I thought it must be similar tech to above, but in fact it was a genius low-fi execution.  A few strategic cuts in the ad and instructions on how to roll up the magazine turned it into an amplified.  Check it out below.


via PSFK

This Is Now

This has nothing to do with advertising, but I thoroughly enjoy it.  This is now is 'a highly addictive real-time visualization tool displaying all the photos as they happen within a city on Instagram.'  
This Is Now scrapes images from Instagram with the hastag #thisisnow and shows you a lovely representation of what’s going on right now in various cities around the world.  Play with it yourself at http://now.jit.su/ or check out the video capture below.



via: Urgent Genius & developed by @marciopuga, @mauriciomassaia and @PerThoresson

Other Things I Like (But Don't Have Time To Write Up)

Budweiser - Bud Clock
Great use of QR codes to turn Happy Hour into an interactive drinking game and extend Happy Hour through buying more Bud.

via: Banner Blog

Kit Kat - We Will Find You
Kit Kat has created a modern day version of Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket with a dash of dystopian Phillip K. Dick novel.  They've hidden GPS transmitters in four packs of Kit Kats on sale in the UK.  Opening the pack activates the GPS and Kit-Kat promises 'We Will Find You' within 24 hours and give the lucky recipient £10,000.  Very cool from a tech perspective, but the messaging is kind of creepy.


Gatwick Express - Tracks
To elevate the experience of the 30-minute train journey from Victoria to Gatwick airport (and of course boost online sales), VCCP has commissioned various artists to create a custom half-hour soundtrack that's synced to what riders see on the journey.  Customers who buy their Gatwick Express tickets online can download the tracks directly from the Gatwick Express website.