GeoGuessr is a geography game which takes you on a journey around the world and challenges your ability to recognize your surroundings. It's a simple yet addictive
use of Google Maps & Streetview. Here's how it works, you're dropped into a random location on Google Street View and you have to guess where in the world you are. Pan, tilt, and zoom around your Streetview location to help you narrow down your location then plot where you think you are on the map. You are awarded points based on how close your guess was to the actual location.
While this has nothing to do with advertising, you can imagine how hotels, airlines or other travel brands in particular could use this as a compelling way to show off various destinations that they serve as well as run a competition. I wouldn't be surprised if we see this idea co-opted by a brand in the near future. Check out a walk through video below or head on over to GeoGuessr to play.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Monday, June 10, 2013
Barclaycard - #BespokeBallads
UK financial provider, Barclays is getting into the offers arena and has launched a new service called Barclays Bespoke Offers for their existing account holders. As you may have guessed their point of differentation is that the offers from both national and local merchants are bespoke for each individual.
In order to promote this new service Barclays (and their agency, Dare) have created Barclays bespoke ballads. They've enlisted several teams of comedians and songwriters to turn people's tweet stream into songs. Here's how it works...a user submits a tweet to #bespokeballads, the songwriters/comedians then comb through their Twitter feed and create a bespoke song based off their Twitter activity. That video is then uploaded to the Barclays Bespoke Offers YouTube channel Check out the intro video below.
If you want to see these in action, you can see below the #bespokeballads created for my colleague, Nathan Guerra.
As in most things, the execution is everything. In this case, the execution is really well done. It's another great example of providing a personalized digital artifact back to users who have taken the time to engage with the brand. On the other hand, the personalized videos are relatively meaningless unless you know the person being serenaded, which is why it also makes sense to include influencers, celebrities or people who have a large following on Twitter.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
In order to promote this new service Barclays (and their agency, Dare) have created Barclays bespoke ballads. They've enlisted several teams of comedians and songwriters to turn people's tweet stream into songs. Here's how it works...a user submits a tweet to #bespokeballads, the songwriters/comedians then comb through their Twitter feed and create a bespoke song based off their Twitter activity. That video is then uploaded to the Barclays Bespoke Offers YouTube channel Check out the intro video below.
If you want to see these in action, you can see below the #bespokeballads created for my colleague, Nathan Guerra.
As in most things, the execution is everything. In this case, the execution is really well done. It's another great example of providing a personalized digital artifact back to users who have taken the time to engage with the brand. On the other hand, the personalized videos are relatively meaningless unless you know the person being serenaded, which is why it also makes sense to include influencers, celebrities or people who have a large following on Twitter.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Points - The Most Advanced Directional Sign On Earch
I absolutely despise the term Internet Of Things. Thankfully a more elegant and descriptive phrase is on the rise. The term enchanted objects (originally coined by MIT Professor and product designer, David Rose) perfectly captures the essence of the latest creation from the folks at Breakfast NY.
My description really won't do it justice. Simply put, points is the world's most advanced street sign. More than that, Points demonstrates how imparting connectivity on every day objects has the potential to make them into something far superior to the original. Check out the video below.
I highly recommend heading over to the Breakfast NY website to read more about the Points project. You can imagine how Points can grow an evolve as technology changes and the sign becomes personalized for each user who encounters it. You can try it out live via Twitter by using the hashtag #PointsSign and watch Points display your tweet and point to where you are in the world.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
My description really won't do it justice. Simply put, points is the world's most advanced street sign. More than that, Points demonstrates how imparting connectivity on every day objects has the potential to make them into something far superior to the original. Check out the video below.
I highly recommend heading over to the Breakfast NY website to read more about the Points project. You can imagine how Points can grow an evolve as technology changes and the sign becomes personalized for each user who encounters it. You can try it out live via Twitter by using the hashtag #PointsSign and watch Points display your tweet and point to where you are in the world.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Super Formula To Fight Cancer
It's nice to see creative agencies using their powers for good. JWT Brazil teamed up with the AC Camargo Cancer Center and Warner Bros to create the 'Superformula to Fight Cancer.' As described on the JWT blog:
'This program was based on the idea that the first step to the fight against cancer is believing in the cure. In order to get their patients to believe, JWT Brazil’s creative team worked with doctors to create a case that clips together to completely cover the chemotherapy intravenous bag. This case combined the painful medication with the magical world of super heroes and was given the name, “Superformula.” The new name and look of the treatment helped to change the perception in the kids’ by convincing them that the Superformula gave them their own superpower which could be used to conquer their illness.
The team at JWT Brazil didn’t stop there. To give these covers a more powerful meaning, the agency produced a special series of cartoons and comic books in which the superheroes go through experiences similar to those of kids with cancer, and recover their strength, thanks to the “Superformula.” In addition, the team provided a new look for the entire children’s ward of the AC Camargo Cancer Center: The game room was converted into the Hall of Justice, hallways and doors were decorated with the same idea, and a special entrance was created to fit the theme for these little heroes to enter through.'
Heartwarmingly wonderful.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
'This program was based on the idea that the first step to the fight against cancer is believing in the cure. In order to get their patients to believe, JWT Brazil’s creative team worked with doctors to create a case that clips together to completely cover the chemotherapy intravenous bag. This case combined the painful medication with the magical world of super heroes and was given the name, “Superformula.” The new name and look of the treatment helped to change the perception in the kids’ by convincing them that the Superformula gave them their own superpower which could be used to conquer their illness.
The team at JWT Brazil didn’t stop there. To give these covers a more powerful meaning, the agency produced a special series of cartoons and comic books in which the superheroes go through experiences similar to those of kids with cancer, and recover their strength, thanks to the “Superformula.” In addition, the team provided a new look for the entire children’s ward of the AC Camargo Cancer Center: The game room was converted into the Hall of Justice, hallways and doors were decorated with the same idea, and a special entrance was created to fit the theme for these little heroes to enter through.'
Heartwarmingly wonderful.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
A Few Other Things I Like But Don't Have Time To Write Up
Coca-Cola Small World Machines
Another wonderful execution under the Coca-Cola 'Open Happiness' umbrella, this time bringing together people in Pakistan & India. The number of activations around Coca-Cola vending machines around 'Open Happiness' is seemingly endless.
A Boy & His Atom - The World's Smallest Movie
This is incredible. IBM created the world's smallest stop motion film. As they describe 'The ability to move single atoms — the smallest particles of any element in the universe — is crucial to IBM's research in the field of atomic memory. But even nanophysicists need to have a little fun. In that spirit, IBM researchers used a scanning tunneling microscope to move thousands of carbon monoxide molecules (two atoms stacked on top of each other), all in pursuit of making a movie so small it can be seen only when you magnify it 100 million times. A movie made with atoms.'
Getty Images - 85 Seconds
Last year, AlmapBBDO created a beautiful film from various stock photography to demonstrate the depth and breadth of the Getty Images library. Now, AlmapBBDO has done the same thing to show off the depth of their video archive. 85 seconds tells the love story of a couple who meet as children, separate after college and reunite later in life.
Holland - The Original Cool
This amazing video was developed by the Mustache Agency for The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Amsterdam Marketing and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The Original Cool is part of a larger advertising campaign aimed at the North American travel market.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Another wonderful execution under the Coca-Cola 'Open Happiness' umbrella, this time bringing together people in Pakistan & India. The number of activations around Coca-Cola vending machines around 'Open Happiness' is seemingly endless.
A Boy & His Atom - The World's Smallest Movie
This is incredible. IBM created the world's smallest stop motion film. As they describe 'The ability to move single atoms — the smallest particles of any element in the universe — is crucial to IBM's research in the field of atomic memory. But even nanophysicists need to have a little fun. In that spirit, IBM researchers used a scanning tunneling microscope to move thousands of carbon monoxide molecules (two atoms stacked on top of each other), all in pursuit of making a movie so small it can be seen only when you magnify it 100 million times. A movie made with atoms.'
Getty Images - 85 Seconds
Last year, AlmapBBDO created a beautiful film from various stock photography to demonstrate the depth and breadth of the Getty Images library. Now, AlmapBBDO has done the same thing to show off the depth of their video archive. 85 seconds tells the love story of a couple who meet as children, separate after college and reunite later in life.
Holland - The Original Cool
This amazing video was developed by the Mustache Agency for The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Amsterdam Marketing and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The Original Cool is part of a larger advertising campaign aimed at the North American travel market.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Saturday, April 27, 2013
FYI - This Blog Will Be On Hiatus For A Few Weeks...
...while I learn what life is like as a new parent. Exciting times.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Google Chrome- World Wide Maze & The Peanut Gallery
The past couple weeks have seen the launch of two more excellent Chrome Experiments. One from the Google Chrome team in Japan & the other from the Data Arts team in San Francisco.
The second Chrome Experiment that I'm excited about is called The Peanut Gallery. Developed by the Creative Lab Data Arts team in San Francisco, 'PEANUT GALLERY is a Chrome Experiment that lets you add intertitles to old film clips using your voice, then share those clips with your friends. It uses your computer's microphone and the Web Speech API in Google Chrome to turn speech into text.'
The Web Speech API functionality in Chrome has a ton of potential. My team has been working on various prototypes that allow users to control different sorts of experiences using voice control, particularly in situations (such as certain video tutorials) where the users hands might be occupied. It'll be interesting to see how various brands can carry this idea forward in creating voice controlled experiences using just the baked-in functionality of the Chrome browser. Anyhow, check out the video below or (as always) have a play around yourself over at Peanut Gallery Films.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Chrome World Wide Maze, developed by the Google Chrome team in Japan) turns any website into a playable 3d maze where you control a marble ball and must navigate it around a multi-dimensional course. By syncing with your Chrome browser on Desktop and mobile your smartphone becomes the controller. It's a great way to demonstrates the benefits and syncing functionality of using Chrome across devices. All the user needs to do is open Chrome on their mobile (provided they are signed in) and the desktop tab becomes the mobile game controller. For signed in users, it's an incredibly powerful way to show the seamless transition from desktop to mobile when you use Chrome on difference devices (which is often the biggest pain point for any media bridging experience).
Check out the video below or head on over to chrome.com/maze to have a play.
Check out the video below or head on over to chrome.com/maze to have a play.
The second Chrome Experiment that I'm excited about is called The Peanut Gallery. Developed by the Creative Lab Data Arts team in San Francisco, 'PEANUT GALLERY is a Chrome Experiment that lets you add intertitles to old film clips using your voice, then share those clips with your friends. It uses your computer's microphone and the Web Speech API in Google Chrome to turn speech into text.'
The Web Speech API functionality in Chrome has a ton of potential. My team has been working on various prototypes that allow users to control different sorts of experiences using voice control, particularly in situations (such as certain video tutorials) where the users hands might be occupied. It'll be interesting to see how various brands can carry this idea forward in creating voice controlled experiences using just the baked-in functionality of the Chrome browser. Anyhow, check out the video below or (as always) have a play around yourself over at Peanut Gallery Films.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Happy Egg Company - Chick Cam
Since Easter just passed, I thought it'd be worth highlighting something a bit different this Easter. In the run up to Easter, the Happy Egg Company (and their agency, Hypernaked) developed this lovely Chickcam campaign, showing again that you don't need a big budget to have success in the digital space. The Happy Egg Chickcam used a Google+ Hangout On Air & YouTube livestreaming over the course of four days to show the hatching of 17 eggs into cute, fluffy chicks. A livestream of eggs waiting to hatch would've been as excited as watching grass grow, so they also included a slate of activities throughout the four days to keep viewers watching.
As the good folks over at the Inspiration Room describe: 'On Monday the Chickcam campaign provided an opportunity for live Q&A on hatching chicks with Madeline from the Happy Chick Company, using Facebook, Twitter or Google+ event posts. On Tuesday viewers were given a chance to send in suggestions for the 17 Chick Cam eggs. On Wednesday questions and answers focused on egg farms with Happy Egg farmer JP. On Thursday, the final day of Chick Cam, a golden egg was sneaked into one of the camera views. The first five people to email the competition received a bundle of Happy Eggs goodies.' Check out the highlight video below.
It's interesting to see more and more brands and content creators use Google+ Hangouts On Air to create either a) an always on, long duration livestream, or b) use Hangouts on Air akin to episodic programming. In both cases, it gives users a reason to return back to the livestream(s) on multiple occasions. For example, the Pet Collective YouTube channel runs multiple, always on Hangouts On Air of various animals including a Kitten cam, a Puppy cam a Golden Eagle cam, a Husky cam and many more. One of my colleagues (who shall remain nameless) has actually bookmarked the kitten cam and fires it up whenever she's having a bad day.
hat tip: Inspiration Room
Posted by: Reuben Halper
As the good folks over at the Inspiration Room describe: 'On Monday the Chickcam campaign provided an opportunity for live Q&A on hatching chicks with Madeline from the Happy Chick Company, using Facebook, Twitter or Google+ event posts. On Tuesday viewers were given a chance to send in suggestions for the 17 Chick Cam eggs. On Wednesday questions and answers focused on egg farms with Happy Egg farmer JP. On Thursday, the final day of Chick Cam, a golden egg was sneaked into one of the camera views. The first five people to email the competition received a bundle of Happy Eggs goodies.' Check out the highlight video below.
It's interesting to see more and more brands and content creators use Google+ Hangouts On Air to create either a) an always on, long duration livestream, or b) use Hangouts on Air akin to episodic programming. In both cases, it gives users a reason to return back to the livestream(s) on multiple occasions. For example, the Pet Collective YouTube channel runs multiple, always on Hangouts On Air of various animals including a Kitten cam, a Puppy cam a Golden Eagle cam, a Husky cam and many more. One of my colleagues (who shall remain nameless) has actually bookmarked the kitten cam and fires it up whenever she's having a bad day.
hat tip: Inspiration Room
Posted by: Reuben Halper
HP - Photo Ball
Blow up beach balls bouncing around the crowd are an inevitable part of any music festival. In a brilliantly simple idea, HP and their agency, AlmapBBDO, created a massive blow up beach ball that includes an HD camera & wi-fi hub in the ball itself. The photo ball demonstrates HP's new positioning, 'Making Memories Last,' and was used during the Planet Terra music festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Throughout the festival the ball filmed and took photos of festival goers as it bounced around the crowd. The video was streamed live both to the stage and online. At the same time, still photos were uploaded to Facebook where people could find and tag themselves. What's incredible is that the live stream from the photo ball reached over three million people as well as the people who tagged and shared those photos on Facebook. Additionally, festival goers could have prints made at the HP festival booth throughout the festival. It's a great example of taking an existing behaviour and amplifying it with technology in a way that enhances the experience for both festival-goers and the online viewing audience. I'm sure we'll be seeing photo balls make more appearances as the summer festival season gets into full swing.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Posted by: Reuben Halper
How To...Anything At All
My colleague, Dr. Joe Adam Fry, has kindly volunteered to write a guest post for 5 Cool Things, highlighting a little prototype that our team has been working on. Take it away Joe...
So the idea was that as we work with YouTube content and Google Search data every day, we know that there is a how-to video for pretty much EVERYTHING in the world.
So, how would you go about learning everything? Well, head over to How To Something and start learning all the things!
The world’s biggest and longest tutorial loads a random how-to video which you can either watch, share or skip if you already know how to do that particular thing. The results are generated from a randomized list of 600 verbs which is then contextualized by returning the top query phrases around that particular verb (using the suggest API). So you too can learn, in one continuous STREAM OF AWESOME, how to marry a millionaire, how to skin a squirrel, or how to sneeze on command and much more.
The result? Serendipitous learning at its best.
VW - Slowmercial & 2013 Golf Auto Show Reveal
Here are two nice, but unrelated pieces of work for Volkswagen from the past couple weeks.
Volkswagen Beetle Slowmercial
According to DDB Brussels, more than a third of Belgians regularly timeshift their TV viewing and of those viewers, more than 80% of them fast forward through commercials. So how do you get your commercial message across to viewers who are watching at 2x, 4x, or even 8x the normal speed? DDB Brussels created the Slowmercial for the new VW Beetle. It's essentially a static TV commercial, not unlike a moving print ad. Kudos to them for rethinking the existing TV format to take into account new viewing behaviour. Check it out below to see what the ad looks like at both normal speed and 8x viewing.
VW Golf & Golf GTI
The new 2013 VW Golf & Golf GTI were unveiled at the NY auto show with a very cool projection mapping event that traced the evolution of the Golf through a cultural timeline. Delightful.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Volkswagen Beetle Slowmercial
According to DDB Brussels, more than a third of Belgians regularly timeshift their TV viewing and of those viewers, more than 80% of them fast forward through commercials. So how do you get your commercial message across to viewers who are watching at 2x, 4x, or even 8x the normal speed? DDB Brussels created the Slowmercial for the new VW Beetle. It's essentially a static TV commercial, not unlike a moving print ad. Kudos to them for rethinking the existing TV format to take into account new viewing behaviour. Check it out below to see what the ad looks like at both normal speed and 8x viewing.
VW Golf & Golf GTI
The new 2013 VW Golf & Golf GTI were unveiled at the NY auto show with a very cool projection mapping event that traced the evolution of the Golf through a cultural timeline. Delightful.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
A Man Like Me In A Place Like This
Here's a fascinating usage/display of personal location tracking. Rather than place himself on a flat map a la Foursquare, Facebook Check-In or Google Latitude, Tristan Smith has used Google Streetview in combination with Google latitude to show his current location in a way that closer represents reality. As the about section of A Man Like Me In A Place Like This site describes:
Fame or Privacy. (Not Both.)
By combining data from Google Latitude and Google Streetview, this site introduces a new form of self-surveillance: An almost livestream of the creator's location using Google's extensive photo database.
Both a digital nod to the graffiti tradition of "_____ WAS HERE" and a new form of life sharing.
"A Man Like Me In A Place Like This" asks the question, "just how much of our experience are we willing to put on display?"
See below or head on over to A Man Like Me In A Place Like This to check it out yourself
Brightly - Preflight Nerves
Tweetflight is a new twist on the interactive music video. Nerves, a Melbourne-based band created a real-time Twitter-powered film for their new single, Preflight Nerves. As one of the band members explains:
'Basically we couldn’t afford to pay a big production company to do a film clip, so I thought it’d be wild to try and do something using web technologies – specifically, HTML5 and the Twitter API.
The result is the first interactive real-time Twitter powered music video for our single, Preflight Nerves, that we’ve affectionately nicknamed Tweetflight.'
The music video scrapes tweets in real-time and highlights the lyrics as the song progresses. Check out the flat film below or head on over to Tweetflight to have a play with it yourself.
via: Leon Bayliss
Posted by: Reuben Halper
'Basically we couldn’t afford to pay a big production company to do a film clip, so I thought it’d be wild to try and do something using web technologies – specifically, HTML5 and the Twitter API.
The result is the first interactive real-time Twitter powered music video for our single, Preflight Nerves, that we’ve affectionately nicknamed Tweetflight.'
The music video scrapes tweets in real-time and highlights the lyrics as the song progresses. Check out the flat film below or head on over to Tweetflight to have a play with it yourself.
via: Leon Bayliss
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Google - Art, Copy & Code
Art, Copy & Code in a series of experiments that started last year with the Google Project Re:Brief. Whereas Re:Brief re-imagined classic ads for the modern web, Art, Copy & Code looks at the future of modern advertising on the web through a series of experiments conceived, developed and executed in partnership with brands such as VW, Adidas & Burberry. As the site explains:
A Time of Change
In the 1960's, advertising went through a creative revolution that changed everything simply by partnering up art directors and copywriters. The idea of a creative team made up of art and copy was born. Today, it’s happening again. We’re in the midst of a second creative revolution, driven by technology. Code is being added to the core creative process, enabling new forms of brand expression and engagement. Art, copy and code is the creative team for the connected world.
The Idea Is Still King
What hasn’t changed is the need for human insights, breakthrough ideas and emotional stories. Code facilitates new kinds of experiences, but it doesn’t replace the storytelling skills the advertising industry has honed over the past fifty years. Our connected world is giving brands more dimensions and touch points, but they still need something compelling to offer in order to create a real connection.
A Series of Experiments
How will the modern web shape the future of advertising? We’re partnering with the innovative brands, storytellers and makers who are defining it to find out.
I highly recommend watching the dynamically generated manifesto/intro film on the Art, Copy & Code site.
The first in the series of experiments is the VW - Smileage app. The official Google blog has a good overview of the experiment or check out the video below. I envision it as the driving equivalent of Nike+, providing both entertainment AND utility back to the user in the form of insightful information about the individual's driving behaviour, habits, etc.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
A Time of Change
In the 1960's, advertising went through a creative revolution that changed everything simply by partnering up art directors and copywriters. The idea of a creative team made up of art and copy was born. Today, it’s happening again. We’re in the midst of a second creative revolution, driven by technology. Code is being added to the core creative process, enabling new forms of brand expression and engagement. Art, copy and code is the creative team for the connected world.
The Idea Is Still King
What hasn’t changed is the need for human insights, breakthrough ideas and emotional stories. Code facilitates new kinds of experiences, but it doesn’t replace the storytelling skills the advertising industry has honed over the past fifty years. Our connected world is giving brands more dimensions and touch points, but they still need something compelling to offer in order to create a real connection.
A Series of Experiments
How will the modern web shape the future of advertising? We’re partnering with the innovative brands, storytellers and makers who are defining it to find out.
I highly recommend watching the dynamically generated manifesto/intro film on the Art, Copy & Code site.
The first in the series of experiments is the VW - Smileage app. The official Google blog has a good overview of the experiment or check out the video below. I envision it as the driving equivalent of Nike+, providing both entertainment AND utility back to the user in the form of insightful information about the individual's driving behaviour, habits, etc.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Three - The Dancing Pony
Three is a UK-based mobile provider fighting for market share in a crowded and competitive environment. Their most recent campaign, developed by Wieden + Kennedy London has absolutely blown up on UK television and the Interwebs. 'The Pony' is a truly delightful commercial and has been great in terms of generating awareness (though one could argue about the strength of the association with Three vs. just the Pony).
What's been interesting to me is to see how Three & W+K have extended on the TV commercial in the digital space, as well as taking the digital activity and feeding that back into TV. If you haven't already seen it, check out 'The Pony' ad below before reading on.
In terms of driving digital activity, Three have created 'The Pony Mixer' which sends users to the Three YouTube channel where they can create their own bespoke version of the Dancing Pony, complete with various visual effects and a wealth of iconic songs to choose from. That's a fantastic way to deepen the experience for users who are willing to go beyond just a passive view of the video. You can check out the trailer for the Pony Mixer below. There's also a heavy Twitter component around the hashtag #DancePonyDance, which generated 14,000 tweets within five hours of the video being uploaded and has continued to be active throughout the life of the campaign.
Lastly, Three have also taken the best of of the user generated videos created via The Pony Mixer along with the associated tweets and are running those as follow up TV commericals. These include versions such as the Bollywood Pony, the Punk Pony and my personal favorite, the Hip-Hop Pony (see below)
Taken together the work from W+K London is just a fantastic example of how various channels can work together in a way that allows each component to extend and amplify the overall campaign.
Also worth noting that, the Poke have created their own hilarious version (not via the Pony Mixer) of the Dancing Pony called the Findus Pony. For those of you outside of the UK, Findus is one of the brands/vendors caught up in the recent Horsemeat Scandal.
hat tip: Bobby Nolla & Adrian Dent
Posted by: Reuben Halper
What's been interesting to me is to see how Three & W+K have extended on the TV commercial in the digital space, as well as taking the digital activity and feeding that back into TV. If you haven't already seen it, check out 'The Pony' ad below before reading on.
In terms of driving digital activity, Three have created 'The Pony Mixer' which sends users to the Three YouTube channel where they can create their own bespoke version of the Dancing Pony, complete with various visual effects and a wealth of iconic songs to choose from. That's a fantastic way to deepen the experience for users who are willing to go beyond just a passive view of the video. You can check out the trailer for the Pony Mixer below. There's also a heavy Twitter component around the hashtag #DancePonyDance, which generated 14,000 tweets within five hours of the video being uploaded and has continued to be active throughout the life of the campaign.
Lastly, Three have also taken the best of of the user generated videos created via The Pony Mixer along with the associated tweets and are running those as follow up TV commericals. These include versions such as the Bollywood Pony, the Punk Pony and my personal favorite, the Hip-Hop Pony (see below)
Taken together the work from W+K London is just a fantastic example of how various channels can work together in a way that allows each component to extend and amplify the overall campaign.
Also worth noting that, the Poke have created their own hilarious version (not via the Pony Mixer) of the Dancing Pony called the Findus Pony. For those of you outside of the UK, Findus is one of the brands/vendors caught up in the recent Horsemeat Scandal.
hat tip: Bobby Nolla & Adrian Dent
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Coca-Cola - Small World Machines
I recently came across this teaser video for the latest in Coca-Cola's ongoing 'Open Happiness' initiative (via Jonathan Mildenhall, VP of Creative @ Coca Cola). Open Happiness has been running since 2009 and is a great example of how many different executions can be developed from one truly fertile big idea. I'm also amazed at how many different ways Coke and their respective agencies have been able to bring the 'Open Happiness' idea to life through various owned assets such as Coca-Cola trucks, vending machines, etc.
The latest execution seems to be a natural extension of last year's Coca-Cola Re:Brief project which delivered on the brand promise from the classic 'Hilltop' TV ad of forty years ago, allowing people around the world to buy a stranger a Coke from the web.
The 'Small World machines' video shows vending machines using streaming video to allow customers at one vending machine to see and interact with a person in front of a Coke machine in another part of the world. The two geographically separated people must then virtually join hands to draw a heart and earn a Coke. It's a nice way to deliver on the idea that Coke is something that connects people in spite of their differences. I'm looking forward to see how this worlds in the real-world. In the meantime, check out the video below:
Posted by: Reuben Halper
The latest execution seems to be a natural extension of last year's Coca-Cola Re:Brief project which delivered on the brand promise from the classic 'Hilltop' TV ad of forty years ago, allowing people around the world to buy a stranger a Coke from the web.
The 'Small World machines' video shows vending machines using streaming video to allow customers at one vending machine to see and interact with a person in front of a Coke machine in another part of the world. The two geographically separated people must then virtually join hands to draw a heart and earn a Coke. It's a nice way to deliver on the idea that Coke is something that connects people in spite of their differences. I'm looking forward to see how this worlds in the real-world. In the meantime, check out the video below:
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Escape Flight
Escape Flight is a new travel site/service that flips the traditional model of planning and booking travel online. Rather than start with a destination in mind, Escape Flight asks the user what attributes they're looking for in a getaway. As their site descibes, Escape flight is 'a free service that has been specifically designed for people in big cities who need a last-minute getawar, but can't afford to do all the ground work themselves. We have created a one-stop, travel-agent-defying algorithm that considers; your personal interests, the weather, your preferred airport, flight times, potential destinations (...including how easy they are to reach), even if there is an event on you might like, and of course not forgetting the cost.'
This idea isn't necessarily new, in fact there was a great piece of Miami Ad School student work that was similar, but based strictly on the weather requirements of the traveler. I believe that I've also seen this sort of functionality buried in the booking options of other airlines sites. The point is that none of the major travel players are really thinking about how to meet the needs of the traveler in non-traditional ways. Escape Flight have brought the idea of interest/attribute based travel booking to the forefront in a both delightful and useful way. It's crazy to me that big travel brands or travel aggregators aren't leading the way in terms of providing this sort of functionality as it resolves an inherent tension in the current travel process as well as serving an unmet need for potential travelers.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
This idea isn't necessarily new, in fact there was a great piece of Miami Ad School student work that was similar, but based strictly on the weather requirements of the traveler. I believe that I've also seen this sort of functionality buried in the booking options of other airlines sites. The point is that none of the major travel players are really thinking about how to meet the needs of the traveler in non-traditional ways. Escape Flight have brought the idea of interest/attribute based travel booking to the forefront in a both delightful and useful way. It's crazy to me that big travel brands or travel aggregators aren't leading the way in terms of providing this sort of functionality as it resolves an inherent tension in the current travel process as well as serving an unmet need for potential travelers.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Mohan Music Palace - Harmonium Banner
Here's a really nice use of rich media advertising. Developed by Web Chutney for New Delhi based Mohan Music Palace, the banner aims to help stem the decline in usage of the Harmonium, a traditional Indian musical instrument. Targeted at various music sites and users who showed an affinity for musical instruments, the banner turned users laptops into a digital harmonium replicating the experience of playing the Harmonium. Not only does the ad demonstrate a clever user of rich media technology, it was also extremely effective in terms of interaction rates and an uptick quote requests. Just goes to show that rich media ads can be an effective tool when used properly. Check out the case study below.
via: Leon Bayliss
Posted by: Reuben Halper
via: Leon Bayliss
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Le Trefle - Emma
This is just a lovely piece of work from Leo Burnett France for French paper company, Le Trefle, reminding us that we'll always need paper, at least in some aspects of our lives.
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Posted by: Reuben Halper
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Chrome Super Sync Sports
As regular readers of this blog know, I'm somewhat obsessed with media bridging experiences. That is, how do you seamlessly (relatively speaking) bridge an experience between desktop and mobile, or how do you create a bridge between a digital billboard and your smartphone, etc, etc. My esteemed colleagues at the Google Creative Lab here in London have also been thinking about the same thing from an even broader perspective. They have just launched a delightful new experience called Chrome Super Sync Sports that uses 'HTML5 features such as WebSockets for real-time gaming synchronicity on desktop and mobile, and Canvas and CSS3 for rich and engaging visuals.' Here's how it works (as described in the official Google blog post):
'Smartphones and tablets are great for all sorts of games, and lately we've been thinking about new ways to play. Chrome Super Sync Sports is a new Chrome Experiment that uses the unique features of mobile devices to create a new gaming experience on big and small screens. In this game up to four friends can compete in running, swimming and cycling on a shared computer screen, using their smartphones or tablets as game controllers.'
Check out the overview video below and have a play around yourself at Chrome Super Sync Sports.
'Smartphones and tablets are great for all sorts of games, and lately we've been thinking about new ways to play. Chrome Super Sync Sports is a new Chrome Experiment that uses the unique features of mobile devices to create a new gaming experience on big and small screens. In this game up to four friends can compete in running, swimming and cycling on a shared computer screen, using their smartphones or tablets as game controllers.'
Check out the overview video below and have a play around yourself at Chrome Super Sync Sports.
SafeStyle Windows - Secret Door
You don't need to be a big brand or have a huge marketing budget to create an amazing digital experience. Case in point, see this beautiful and delightful experience created by Safestyle UK. Safestyle are 'the largest independent company in the UK that provides top-quality, affordable uPVC double glazed windows, doors, French doors, sliding patio doors and composite doors.' Perhaps not the most obvious candidate to create an immersive experience using Google Streetview, but that's the power of the web. It democratizes marketing and provides the means to reach a tremendous audience without needing a massive budget (case in point see Dollar Shave Club or Orabrush on YouTube). Interestingly, I've read articles that indicate that this is an SEO play by Safestyle UK to maintain it's organic search position. Whatever the objective, it's a lovely experience for the user.
But I digress...the idea behind the Secret Door is that you step through it and are transported to some of the 'most quirky and interesting places Google Maps has to offer.' The experience is essentially a curated version of Google Streetview (both indoor and outdoor) and provides serendipity and delight as you allow the Secret Door to take you to various places around the world.
Additionally the site can be embedded around the web, ensuring the experience can be spread far and wide. So have a play around with the experience which is embedded below.
But I digress...the idea behind the Secret Door is that you step through it and are transported to some of the 'most quirky and interesting places Google Maps has to offer.' The experience is essentially a curated version of Google Streetview (both indoor and outdoor) and provides serendipity and delight as you allow the Secret Door to take you to various places around the world.
Additionally the site can be embedded around the web, ensuring the experience can be spread far and wide. So have a play around with the experience which is embedded below.
The Secret Door is presented by Safestyle UK
Malmo Hardware Store - Toolpool
The past several years has a tremendous rise in the number of sharing (p2p or otherwise) and on-demand services that are disrupting existing business models. Service like Zipcar, AirBNB, TaskRabbit, etc. are changing traditional models of ownership and resourcing. Considering how potentially disruptive these types of services can be to existing business models, it's surprising that more brands haven't recognized the potential in these sharing services as an alternative to ownership of their products.
One business that has embraced the on-demand usage model is Malmo Hardware store. They've developed a Zipcar-like service for power tools, called ToolPool. As their agency, The Fan Club, describes:
via: Yosuke Suzuki
One business that has embraced the on-demand usage model is Malmo Hardware store. They've developed a Zipcar-like service for power tools, called ToolPool. As their agency, The Fan Club, describes:
'Malmö Hardware Store needed an idea to be able to compete with the giant home improvement chains that are taking over the market. We learned that the stores main earnings comes from supplies, not from expensive tools. So we created ToolPool. It works just like a carpool, but with tools. And it's for free. All we ask for in return is that you share our message on Facebook.
During the very first month, ToolPool received extensive media coverage, over 600 members and sales in the store increased by 25%.'
It's a wonderful example of service design. See the overview video below.
via: Yosuke Suzuki
Audi RS4 - Ultimate Paintball Duel
I think of the Audi station wagon (errr...estate car as it's called over here) as a boring staple of the British upper-middle classes. Generally speaking, estate cars/station wagons are thought of as boring family-mobiles that just appeal to Moms. Audi's challenge is to shift the stigma away from estate cars and demonstrate the performance and handling of their recently relaunched RS4 wagon. Rather than just talk about specs like the 450hp V-8 engine, Audi's agency Rubber Republic have brought the promise of the RS4 to life through a top-gearesque paintball duel. You may remember Rubber Republic from their awesome Bodyform response video work. In this case, they've enlisted two of the best UK stunt drivers (check out the behind the scenes video here) in 'two brand new 2013 RS 4 Avants with bonnet mounted paintball guns take over a military aircraft hangar and go head to head in the ultimate paintball duel.' The result is sheer joy to behold & a perfect way to appeal to a male audience all of whom believe they could secretly be race car drivers.
Check it out below.
via: Yoram Cisinski
Check it out below.
via: Yoram Cisinski
TED - 3rd Annual Ads Worth Spreading Winners
The winners of the 3rd annual TED - Ads Worth Spreading initiative have been announced at the the recent TED conference. So what makes an Ad Worth Spreading? Well it's worth watching the original TED talk from Chris Anderson, but as Ronda Carnegie, Head of Global Partnerships at TED, says:
According to the YouTube blog:
Ads were nominated in six categories: Talk, Social Good, Cultural Compass, Creative Wonder, Brand Bravery, and Education. Six nomination teams made up of one TED speaker and one rising thinker in advertising searched for ads in each category, while 25 leading figures in the ad industry searched for ads across categories.
Each of these ten ads go beyond the creative brief to spark imagination and create moments of emotional connection with audiences. The winning work will be showcased at TED2013 as well as on TED.com and you can watch them all here on YouTube. Combined, they have been viewed more than 100 million times on YouTube.
'The best ads are excellent content--driven by ideas. Culturally relevant content with strong storytelling has the power to spark change, raise awareness, and communicate new ways of thinking...
...The ads selected have a common thread around human connection. They create contagious emotion around wonder, imagination, culture, humor, and ingenuity.'
Most of these have been featured on the blog at some point in the past, but it's worth twenty minutes of your time to view them all. See below for a handy playlist with the 10 winning videos.
Most of these have been featured on the blog at some point in the past, but it's worth twenty minutes of your time to view them all. See below for a handy playlist with the 10 winning videos.
According to the YouTube blog:
Ads were nominated in six categories: Talk, Social Good, Cultural Compass, Creative Wonder, Brand Bravery, and Education. Six nomination teams made up of one TED speaker and one rising thinker in advertising searched for ads in each category, while 25 leading figures in the ad industry searched for ads across categories.
Each of these ten ads go beyond the creative brief to spark imagination and create moments of emotional connection with audiences. The winning work will be showcased at TED2013 as well as on TED.com and you can watch them all here on YouTube. Combined, they have been viewed more than 100 million times on YouTube.
Bus Stop Ads - The Good, The Bad & The Excellent
I thought it'd be interesting to change gears a bit and showcase some interesting (both good and bad) work from the out of home world, namely bus stop/bus shelter advertising.
The Good - First up is a nice stunt from Qualcomm which effectively delivers on the tagline 'We make life better with mobile.' Check it out below:
The Bad - Next up is a stunt from the Weather Channel to promote their mobile app which tells users the exact time when rain will start or stop. Since the Weather Channel takes the guesswork out of weather forecasts, they wanted to see people get caught in the rain one last time. To do so, they outfitted a bus stop with a rain machine. Call me crazy, but I'd be pissed off if I'm sitting there waiting for my bus and a brand decides that they're going to make it rain on me. I wouldn't exactly be rushing to download the app after that moment of unexpected precipitation.
The Excellent - Last up is from SAS in Norway. To show off the array of new sunny destinations that the airline services, JCDecaux outfitted a bus stop with what looks like an airplane window. Users who pull up the window shade are presented with videos from one of the sixteen new destinations. It's a great way to grab the attention of people who, by definition, have some free time on their hands while waiting for a bus. It's also a perfect execution considering the winter weather in Norway and other Northern European countries, coupled with the universal desire to get away to sunnier climes.
The Good - First up is a nice stunt from Qualcomm which effectively delivers on the tagline 'We make life better with mobile.' Check it out below:
The Bad - Next up is a stunt from the Weather Channel to promote their mobile app which tells users the exact time when rain will start or stop. Since the Weather Channel takes the guesswork out of weather forecasts, they wanted to see people get caught in the rain one last time. To do so, they outfitted a bus stop with a rain machine. Call me crazy, but I'd be pissed off if I'm sitting there waiting for my bus and a brand decides that they're going to make it rain on me. I wouldn't exactly be rushing to download the app after that moment of unexpected precipitation.
The Excellent - Last up is from SAS in Norway. To show off the array of new sunny destinations that the airline services, JCDecaux outfitted a bus stop with what looks like an airplane window. Users who pull up the window shade are presented with videos from one of the sixteen new destinations. It's a great way to grab the attention of people who, by definition, have some free time on their hands while waiting for a bus. It's also a perfect execution considering the winter weather in Norway and other Northern European countries, coupled with the universal desire to get away to sunnier climes.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
KLM - Must See Map
For the past couple years, KLM has been setting the bar in terms of how an airline should behave in the digital space. Recently there was an excellent article about their approach to digital on Think With Google (article is here). Almost every campaign includes a service design element where they attempt to enhance the user experience either before, during or after the journey. The latest from KLM is a tool called Must See Map, which uses a custom Google maps implementation to allow travelers to create a personalised map for an upcoming trip. That functionality alone can be done with the standard Google Maps functionality. However, Must See Map allows users to invite Facebook & Twitter friends to suggest places to visit and directly add their suggestions to your map.
It's a really nice execution driven by the insight that travelers most often look to friends for suggestions of places to go and things to check out when planning a trip. Those suggestions typically come in the form of e-mail or social networks posts, so KLM is eliminating the pain point of having all those suggestions in e-mail or list form by enabling your friends to input them directly.
My favorite part of this whole experience is how KLM is bridging the digital and physical worlds. Once your map is complete, KLM will send you a hard copy of the map within three weeks.
Check out the explanation video below. Anyone know the agency behind this?
UPDATE: This was created by the good people at Code D'Azur.
It's a really nice execution driven by the insight that travelers most often look to friends for suggestions of places to go and things to check out when planning a trip. Those suggestions typically come in the form of e-mail or social networks posts, so KLM is eliminating the pain point of having all those suggestions in e-mail or list form by enabling your friends to input them directly.
My favorite part of this whole experience is how KLM is bridging the digital and physical worlds. Once your map is complete, KLM will send you a hard copy of the map within three weeks.
Check out the explanation video below. Anyone know the agency behind this?
UPDATE: This was created by the good people at Code D'Azur.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Two Attempts To Stop The Harlem Shake - W+K NY & Freddie Wong
I've never seen a meme explode so quickly as the Harlem Shake craze (there's currently 4,000 harlem shake videos per day being uploaded). If you want background on the phenomenon, check out this YouTube trends blog post. At the same time, I've never seen a meme become so immediately and thoroughly tiresome. When the anchors of the Today show are doing it, you know that it's time to take it out behind the barn and put it down for good. Thankfully, people more talented than I are doing their part in putting an official end to this phenomenon.
First up YouTube star Freddie Wong:
And the good people at Wieden + Kennedy New York bringing an old meme into the mix:
And finally, the guys at Vice have a good write up about why the Harlem Shake as currently imagined is but a shell of it's former self and generally sucks.
First up YouTube star Freddie Wong:
And the good people at Wieden + Kennedy New York bringing an old meme into the mix:
And finally, the guys at Vice have a good write up about why the Harlem Shake as currently imagined is but a shell of it's former self and generally sucks.
Topshop/Google+ - The Future Of The Fashion Show
Lately there's been a trend in terms of fashions shows bringing the audience closer to both the catwalk and behind the scenes of the show (see the recent interactive Adidas Fashion Show). Now Topshop has teamed up with Google+ to launch what it's calling 'The Future Of The Fashion Show.' The show itself takes place at the Tate Modern, but a host of tech will make the experience incredibly rich for the audience online. The desire is to give viewers the ability to see the show from every point of view including the makeup artist the audience in the front row and even a first person view from the models as they walk down the runway (using micro HD cameras). As the Telegraph writes:
Google+ will offer its users exclusive digital diaries by four of Topshop's famous model faces - Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, Rosie Tapner and Ashleigh Good - in their 'Road to the runway' series which will track each of the models from their first fittings for the show to the moment they hit the catwalk.
Via YouTube, Topshop will broadcast not only the live show but a 'red carpet hangout', allowing viewers to join in the hustle and bustle of the celebrity arrivals at the show, and using Google's 3D streetmap technology you'll be able to explore the show's exciting venue, The Tanks at Tate Modern.
Other aspects include a 'Be The Buyer' app which will allow fans to create their own mood boards from the pieces on the runway, as well as video advice from International buyers and Topshop's in-house team offering tips to aspiring young buyers or fashion enthusiasts. An animated Google+ photo booth has also been installed in the brand's flagship Oxford Street store allowing fans to upload their looks to an interactive digital window immediately.
Check out the video below that demonstrates how it all comes together & tune in on Sunday, February 17th at 3PM (GMT).
Google+ will offer its users exclusive digital diaries by four of Topshop's famous model faces - Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, Rosie Tapner and Ashleigh Good - in their 'Road to the runway' series which will track each of the models from their first fittings for the show to the moment they hit the catwalk.
Via YouTube, Topshop will broadcast not only the live show but a 'red carpet hangout', allowing viewers to join in the hustle and bustle of the celebrity arrivals at the show, and using Google's 3D streetmap technology you'll be able to explore the show's exciting venue, The Tanks at Tate Modern.
Other aspects include a 'Be The Buyer' app which will allow fans to create their own mood boards from the pieces on the runway, as well as video advice from International buyers and Topshop's in-house team offering tips to aspiring young buyers or fashion enthusiasts. An animated Google+ photo booth has also been installed in the brand's flagship Oxford Street store allowing fans to upload their looks to an interactive digital window immediately.
Check out the video below that demonstrates how it all comes together & tune in on Sunday, February 17th at 3PM (GMT).
Nivea - Stress Test
I love this fantastically executed stunt from Nivea in Germany to promote their Stress Protect line. Nivea's agency, Felix & Lamberti, setup an elaborate ambush in an airport waiting lounge, making it seem that the targeted person was wanted by the police. I don't want to spoil the video, so I'd just suggest you watch below.
Valentine's Day - Nivea, Sky, & Ikea
In honor of the most Hallmark of holidays, I thought it'd be nice to show few examples of Valentine's Day executions that stood out in my mind.
Nivea - A Date To Remember
Nivea is promoting their new Stress Protect deodorant range which 'provides proven protection under stress, so whatever happens, you can stay cool and confident.' Developed by Agency Republic, A Date To Remember is billed as the first date that the user controls. The interactive YouTube experience allows the user to choose how the date (awkwardly) unfolds while showing the stress level that the 'ordinary' girl is experiencing. Check out the trailer below and have a play around with the experience on the Nivea UK YouTube channel.
Sky Germany
This ad from Sky in Germany reminds football fanatics the potential risks of forgetting Valentine's day, More importantly, it just goes to show that everything is better in slo-mo.
IKEA - Australia
A love this Valentine's day print ad from IKEA in Australia. See below. No further explanation needed.
amusing Valentine's Day offer—a free crib for babies born nine months from today.
Nivea - A Date To Remember
Nivea is promoting their new Stress Protect deodorant range which 'provides proven protection under stress, so whatever happens, you can stay cool and confident.' Developed by Agency Republic, A Date To Remember is billed as the first date that the user controls. The interactive YouTube experience allows the user to choose how the date (awkwardly) unfolds while showing the stress level that the 'ordinary' girl is experiencing. Check out the trailer below and have a play around with the experience on the Nivea UK YouTube channel.
Sky Germany
This ad from Sky in Germany reminds football fanatics the potential risks of forgetting Valentine's day, More importantly, it just goes to show that everything is better in slo-mo.
IKEA - Australia
A love this Valentine's day print ad from IKEA in Australia. See below. No further explanation needed.
EasyWay Language Center - Subtitles
A bit of background, Brazil-based EasyWay language center is primarily targeted at foreigners living in Brazil (eg. student and ex-pats) looking to learn Portugese. You may remember the innovative use of the Chrome speech input functionality that they used as part of their web experience a few months back (see previous post here). Now EasyWay has launched another service that uses Google technology in a clever way. Their agency, Loducca, has created a browser based experience that helps people learn Portugese by providing subtitles for Brazilian TV in any language.
The website provides real-time subtitles to the major Brazilian TV channels by combining old school closed captioning technology and Google Translate. Here's how it works: EasyWay has a computer hooked to up to TV set 24 hours a day. The computer captures and uploads the closed caption data to be translated on the website. Users visit the site from their mobile device (or laptop I suppose) and choose their preferred language & TV channel. Voila! The subtitles for the program are displayed on their second screen, synced up to the TV broadcast. Check out the video below for a better explanation.
The website provides real-time subtitles to the major Brazilian TV channels by combining old school closed captioning technology and Google Translate. Here's how it works: EasyWay has a computer hooked to up to TV set 24 hours a day. The computer captures and uploads the closed caption data to be translated on the website. Users visit the site from their mobile device (or laptop I suppose) and choose their preferred language & TV channel. Voila! The subtitles for the program are displayed on their second screen, synced up to the TV broadcast. Check out the video below for a better explanation.
Final Superbowl Thoughts
Contagious has a good Superbowl Advertising roundup which can be found here
My personal favorite spot was Samsung Next Big Thing with Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, & Bob Odenkirk. I love the shots that they took at AdLand (I counted at least five).
The VW 'Get Happy' Superbowl ad generated a whole bunch of controversy with many people calling the spot offensive and even racist. I was surprised that nobody has really picked up on this response video from Red Strip that ran during the game. Everyone was swooning over the Oreo blackout execution, but the way that Red Stripe responded and attempted to insert themselves into the debate around the ad was incredibly smart in my opinion. See below.
VW had a backup ad created for the Superbowl, but decided to run the 'Get Happy' ad after the teaser spot had significant response on YouTube (see the behind the scenes article). I'm wondering if this ad below isn't the backup spot. Personally I prefer this to 'Get Happy.'
My personal favorite spot was Samsung Next Big Thing with Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, & Bob Odenkirk. I love the shots that they took at AdLand (I counted at least five).
The VW 'Get Happy' Superbowl ad generated a whole bunch of controversy with many people calling the spot offensive and even racist. I was surprised that nobody has really picked up on this response video from Red Strip that ran during the game. Everyone was swooning over the Oreo blackout execution, but the way that Red Stripe responded and attempted to insert themselves into the debate around the ad was incredibly smart in my opinion. See below.
VW had a backup ad created for the Superbowl, but decided to run the 'Get Happy' ad after the teaser spot had significant response on YouTube (see the behind the scenes article). I'm wondering if this ad below isn't the backup spot. Personally I prefer this to 'Get Happy.'
Monday, February 4, 2013
Sodastream Ad Banned From Superbowl
A few weeks back I featured a Sodastream ad that was banned in the UK because 'denigrated the bottled drinks market.' Ridiculous, but to be fair the advertising standards in the UK are far different than the US. Essentially, denigrating or drawing unfavorable comparisons to your direct competitors is not allowed. I noted that Sodastream would be running a similar spot during the upcoming Superbowl. The Superbowl spot was created by former CP+B principal, Alex Bogusky and ridicules both Coke & Pepsi for their harmful effects on the environment. Now word has come down that Superbowl broadcaster CBS, having screened the Sodastream Superbowl ad, have decided to ban it. According to Forbes 'CBS banned SodaStream’s Super Bowl spot because, apparently, it was too much of a direct hit to two of its biggest sponsors, Coke and Pepsi.'
You can see the banned spot below. Please watch it and share it. Seriously. I usually refrain from expressing too many of my personal opinions, but I find the ban absolutely outrageous. Past Superbowl spots could have been deemed offensive to any number of people (GoDaddy anyone?). Now that a spot offends two of the biggest advertisers in CBS's stable, the advertising standards people step in. Effective creative communication is one of the great equalizers in marketing. Coca-Cola & Pepsi are big boys, with big budgets and access some of the best agencies/creative talent in the world. Sodastream should be allowed to compete freely with Coke and Pepsi in the marketplace of ideas in order to persuade customers to choose their products. It's just that simple.
On the plus side, Sodastream just saved itself a significant percentage of their overall marketing spend (the going rate for a Superbowl spot this year is nearly $4 million for 30 seconds). I expect they'll garner a huge amount of PR/buzz due to the ban, as was the case when the UK commercial was banned.
You can see the banned spot below. Please watch it and share it. Seriously. I usually refrain from expressing too many of my personal opinions, but I find the ban absolutely outrageous. Past Superbowl spots could have been deemed offensive to any number of people (GoDaddy anyone?). Now that a spot offends two of the biggest advertisers in CBS's stable, the advertising standards people step in. Effective creative communication is one of the great equalizers in marketing. Coca-Cola & Pepsi are big boys, with big budgets and access some of the best agencies/creative talent in the world. Sodastream should be allowed to compete freely with Coke and Pepsi in the marketplace of ideas in order to persuade customers to choose their products. It's just that simple.
On the plus side, Sodastream just saved itself a significant percentage of their overall marketing spend (the going rate for a Superbowl spot this year is nearly $4 million for 30 seconds). I expect they'll garner a huge amount of PR/buzz due to the ban, as was the case when the UK commercial was banned.
Dodge Dart Registry
I was blown away when I first saw this idea for the new Dodge Dart. Developed by W+K, the Dodge Dart Registry works like a normal gift registry, but for purchasing a car. The Dart is targeted at a younger audience who typically can't necessarily afford a car. The potential buyer picks out the features they want, then invites their friends and family to sponsor parts of the car as gifts. Once they reach the fundraising goal, they are the proud owner of a brand new Dart. As Dodge says, it's an entirely new way to buy a car. Check out the intro video below.
The reason I love this idea so much is that it's grounded in consumer truth and presents a new twist on existing consumer behaviour. In hindsight, this idea is almost inevitable. The rise of crowd funding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo has been relentless, so it was only a matter of time before that funding mechanism spilled over into the main stream for big-ticket items. Additionally, the idea of a gift registry has been around for years. More recently, the idea of contributing cash/funding to a wedding registry to make one large purchase (such as a honeymoon) has become commonplace. Combine all of these factors with the insight that the target audience often needs help to finance a new car purchase and you can see how it all comes together beautifully. Have a look around on DodgeDartRegistry.com
The reason I love this idea so much is that it's grounded in consumer truth and presents a new twist on existing consumer behaviour. In hindsight, this idea is almost inevitable. The rise of crowd funding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo has been relentless, so it was only a matter of time before that funding mechanism spilled over into the main stream for big-ticket items. Additionally, the idea of a gift registry has been around for years. More recently, the idea of contributing cash/funding to a wedding registry to make one large purchase (such as a honeymoon) has become commonplace. Combine all of these factors with the insight that the target audience often needs help to finance a new car purchase and you can see how it all comes together beautifully. Have a look around on DodgeDartRegistry.com
Durex - SOS Condoms
Some of you may remember the Cannes winning VIP Fridge Magnet service for Red Tomato Pizza in Dubai from last spring (see case study here). Now Durex, along with their agency, Buzzman, have launched an interesting branded service in Dubai. Based off the insight that you never have a condom when you need one, Durex has launched a delivery service that will bring you a condom, wherever you may be, within an hour. It's a nice take on branded utility for a mobile app and is definitely a new twist on location based technology. Again, good to see mobile apps that actually give something back to the user (and in this case also promotes safe sex) Check out the overview video below.
The campaign/app has been successful enough in Dubai that Buzzman and Durex are running a competition to decide the next city that will get the SOS service, so feel free to head over to SOS Condoms to vote for your city.
hat tip: Adverblog
The campaign/app has been successful enough in Dubai that Buzzman and Durex are running a competition to decide the next city that will get the SOS service, so feel free to head over to SOS Condoms to vote for your city.
hat tip: Adverblog
McDonald's - Track My Maccas
The recent Tesco Horse Meat scandal has put issues of supply train integrity and brand transparency front and center. It's been interesting watch McDonald's (across various regions) dedicate significant time and effort to behave in a more transparent manner. The McDonald's - Your Questions campaign was featured on this blog a few months ago, but even that effort pales in comparison to the recently launched 'Track My Maccas' campaign. Track My Maccas is an app that provides McDonald's customers with a vast amount of information about where the various parts of their McDonald's meal were sourced. As the good folks over at Contagious describe:
Once downloaded onto a smartphone, the TrackMyMaccas app uses GPS and image recognition, combined with date and time information, to find out where and when a particular McDonald's menu item has been purchased. It then overlays that information with data from McDonald's' supply chain in real time. Finally, it serves up an immersive and entertaining story about where the food has come from.
Using augmented reality, the app then transforms the restaurant table into a farmyard, showing where the beef was sourced, or the ocean, if the main meal was a fish fillet. The story unfolds differently depending on exactly where diners are in Australia.
People can also meet the suppliers, for instance, farmers, fishers, bakers of burger buns, etc, and find out how long they have been working with McDonald's.
The app, developed by DDB Australia, is a fairly mind-blowing effort from both a logistical and a technical perspective. I also appreciate the effort taken to make the resulting information/data both interesting and entertaining, rather than simply presenting it in a dry, tabular way. Check out the video below that shows off the Track My Maccas app.
hat tip: Contagious
Once downloaded onto a smartphone, the TrackMyMaccas app uses GPS and image recognition, combined with date and time information, to find out where and when a particular McDonald's menu item has been purchased. It then overlays that information with data from McDonald's' supply chain in real time. Finally, it serves up an immersive and entertaining story about where the food has come from.
Using augmented reality, the app then transforms the restaurant table into a farmyard, showing where the beef was sourced, or the ocean, if the main meal was a fish fillet. The story unfolds differently depending on exactly where diners are in Australia.
People can also meet the suppliers, for instance, farmers, fishers, bakers of burger buns, etc, and find out how long they have been working with McDonald's.
hat tip: Contagious
Hessian - A Brand In Search Of A Product
Here's a really fascinating idea from identity and product designer, Ben Pieratt. He begins with the Walter Landor quote 'Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind.' Typically a brand is inextricably intertwined with an actual product. Even if the portfolio has expanded far beyond the original product, the brand DNA is often anchored in that original product (eg. Nike). In many cases there's reference to some sort of origin story for the brand or it's component elements (eg. the Nike swoosh).
Pieratt's fascinating idea is the complete opposite of the typical brand story. He's created a complete brand identity, Hessian, that's essentially a tabula rasa for whatever company is willing to purchase the brand identity and associated assets. In short, he is selling the brand completely independently of any product. He's created what could be a compelling brand for any number of products, be it a store, an apparel line, a restaurant, a service, etc. As he explains:
The core thought with Hessian.tv is that, as designers, we naturally see solutions to problems/opportunities we can’t help but notice in the market. We have concepts that we know are valid and worthwhile, and not only that but we instinctually know how they should be launched, how they should look, how they should work, and who their target audience should be.
HOWEVER, as anyone who has tried building something knows, the actual production and launch of a great idea is incredibly difficult. Not only that, but, as Svpply taught me, launching, leading, growing and managing a product is an entirely different skill set than most designers have or want to have or should be expected to have.
Inversely, there are oceans of MBAs, Managers and Entrepreneurs out there who are passionate and talented at the actual building and leading of companies, but may not actually be great at identifying worthwhile problem/solutions in the market.
It's a genius idea and I'm anxious to see how it progresses. Check out more at Hessian.tv
hat tip: Kottke
Pieratt's fascinating idea is the complete opposite of the typical brand story. He's created a complete brand identity, Hessian, that's essentially a tabula rasa for whatever company is willing to purchase the brand identity and associated assets. In short, he is selling the brand completely independently of any product. He's created what could be a compelling brand for any number of products, be it a store, an apparel line, a restaurant, a service, etc. As he explains:
The core thought with Hessian.tv is that, as designers, we naturally see solutions to problems/opportunities we can’t help but notice in the market. We have concepts that we know are valid and worthwhile, and not only that but we instinctually know how they should be launched, how they should look, how they should work, and who their target audience should be.
HOWEVER, as anyone who has tried building something knows, the actual production and launch of a great idea is incredibly difficult. Not only that, but, as Svpply taught me, launching, leading, growing and managing a product is an entirely different skill set than most designers have or want to have or should be expected to have.
Inversely, there are oceans of MBAs, Managers and Entrepreneurs out there who are passionate and talented at the actual building and leading of companies, but may not actually be great at identifying worthwhile problem/solutions in the market.
It's a genius idea and I'm anxious to see how it progresses. Check out more at Hessian.tv
hat tip: Kottke
Target - Tweet To Runway Show
I'm pretty much a sucker for real(ish)-time video response campaigns. Old Spice pioneered the format, but other brands have taken up the mantle in new and interesting ways. The latest Twitter --> Video response campaign comes from US retailer Target. The Everyday Collection campaign, conceived and developed by mono, is an unlikely fusion of high style with food and various household items like kitchen rolls, detergent and diapers. The idea was to create a fashion show with a couple twists. Rather than show off high-fashion, the models were showing off everyday items from Target. Furthermore, the featured objects were chosen based off tweets mentioning said objects, often in humorous or otherwise quirky ways. Basically taking the banal and turning it into something more.
In total, more than 150 videos were created, all of which were featured on the Target YouTube channel as well as the Every Day Show site. Each video shows the original Tweet and those Twitter users featured were given Target gift cards. In general the response video is a nice mechanic to create a personalized digital artifact for a select group of people. It also has the benefit of ensuring that the people featured will then spread the artifact (and campaign) among their own social network.
Check out the highlight video below, some of the videos are quite amusing, but to be honest most don't really land well. It just goes to show that execution is everything. What sounds hilarious when read on Twitter becomes something completely different when delivered by a model. Regardless, it's a nice effort from Target and their agency, it's just tough to top some of the campaigns that preceded this one.
In total, more than 150 videos were created, all of which were featured on the Target YouTube channel as well as the Every Day Show site. Each video shows the original Tweet and those Twitter users featured were given Target gift cards. In general the response video is a nice mechanic to create a personalized digital artifact for a select group of people. It also has the benefit of ensuring that the people featured will then spread the artifact (and campaign) among their own social network.
Check out the highlight video below, some of the videos are quite amusing, but to be honest most don't really land well. It just goes to show that execution is everything. What sounds hilarious when read on Twitter becomes something completely different when delivered by a model. Regardless, it's a nice effort from Target and their agency, it's just tough to top some of the campaigns that preceded this one.
Southern Comfort - Comfortable Weather Guy
The 'Whatever's Comfortable' spot developed by Wieden + Kennedy for Southern Comfort was one my favorite ads of 2012. IMHO, everything about the advert was pretty much perfect, absolutely nailing the brand tagline of 'Whatever's Comfortable' in a delightful way. Given the popularity of the spot, it's no surprise that the brand is extending the duties of the Comfort man character. The Comfortable Weather Guy site features the eponymous character against a backdrop of whatever the weather is in your particular city. You can also see Comfort man deliver the weather (against an appropriate backdrop of course) anywhere else in the world. It looks like there are about sixteen different videos that are matched up to the particular weather at any given time. Check out the original spot below as well as the different weather videos or just head over to the website and have a play around yourself. Silly? Yes. Pointless? Somewhat. Entertaining? Most definitely.
A Few Things I Like But Don't Have Time To Write UP - Microsoft, Call Of Duty, SPIES Travels
Microsoft Internet Explorer - Child Of The 90s
Check out the video for the new Internet Explorer that resonates nicely with the target audience (eg. people my age) by tapping into nostalgia for the 90s. It's a nice way to encourage people to give Explorer another try. As they say in the ad 'You grew up. So did we. Reconnect with the new Internet Explorer.'
Call Of Duty 2: The Replacer
I love this spot because it's so different from most videogame launch ads. The Replacer, created by 72andsunny, is a nice take on the idea that there are always things getting in the way of playing a new videogame. Sort of reminiscent (on a smaller scale) of the NAB Stand-Ins campaign from a new months back.
SPIES Travels
Here's a fun little experiment from Danish travel company SPIES travels and their agency, Robert/Boisen & like-minded. To encourage travelers to book a vacation in warm climes, they went to some extremes to show much energy you get from a sun filled holiday.
Check out the video for the new Internet Explorer that resonates nicely with the target audience (eg. people my age) by tapping into nostalgia for the 90s. It's a nice way to encourage people to give Explorer another try. As they say in the ad 'You grew up. So did we. Reconnect with the new Internet Explorer.'
Call Of Duty 2: The Replacer
I love this spot because it's so different from most videogame launch ads. The Replacer, created by 72andsunny, is a nice take on the idea that there are always things getting in the way of playing a new videogame. Sort of reminiscent (on a smaller scale) of the NAB Stand-Ins campaign from a new months back.
SPIES Travels
Here's a fun little experiment from Danish travel company SPIES travels and their agency, Robert/Boisen & like-minded. To encourage travelers to book a vacation in warm climes, they went to some extremes to show much energy you get from a sun filled holiday.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Telstra New Year's Eve App
We had a session at the Google Creative Sandbox in Cannes last June with James Hilton of AKQA. Among other things, we discussed the potential of mobile and product design in general. He said something that really stuck with me; unless an experience is useful, usable or delightful then it's just contributing to the digital landfill. Unfortunately many brands seem to ignore that advice and pump out ill-conceived mobile apps or experiences that meet none of the aforementioned criteria. That's why I love this app developed by Australian Telco, Telstra for New Year's eve in Sydney. The app has a host of features to enhance and amplify the experience of fireworks goers in Sydney. As the good folks over at Contagious explain:
Throughout the night, four Telstra Colour Moments will automatically sync phone screens with the lighting on Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the fireworks displays around the bay. The screens will light up, becoming a visual extension of the show.
Message the Bridge, another function on the app, enables users to write and submit their very own New Year's message - with 1500 of these being displayed on the pylons of the bridge over the course of the night. A dedicated Facebook app lets people without a smartphone send messages to the bridge.
Telstra has also included features to help the public get the most from the evening: the maps function, for example, details the best vantage points from which to see the fireworks, and includes information on reaching each one; and Midnight Messages enables users (on any network) to pre-load 50 SMS messages which Telstra will then send out to their loved ones, free of charge, at midnight.
Telstra also streamed the fireworks on their YouTube channel for those folks who couldn't attend in person.
Overall the Telstra App is just a great example of a mobile application that meets all of the criteria. It's useful (best vantage points via maps, rules about what you can and can't bring to the fireworks, etc.), usable (nice UX in the app, but also the ability to pre-load SMS messages to send at midnight) and delightful (become part of the larger experience via the Telstra Colour Moments, Message The Bridge). Check out the demo video below.
hat tip: Contagious
Throughout the night, four Telstra Colour Moments will automatically sync phone screens with the lighting on Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the fireworks displays around the bay. The screens will light up, becoming a visual extension of the show.
Message the Bridge, another function on the app, enables users to write and submit their very own New Year's message - with 1500 of these being displayed on the pylons of the bridge over the course of the night. A dedicated Facebook app lets people without a smartphone send messages to the bridge.
Telstra has also included features to help the public get the most from the evening: the maps function, for example, details the best vantage points from which to see the fireworks, and includes information on reaching each one; and Midnight Messages enables users (on any network) to pre-load 50 SMS messages which Telstra will then send out to their loved ones, free of charge, at midnight.
Telstra also streamed the fireworks on their YouTube channel for those folks who couldn't attend in person.
Overall the Telstra App is just a great example of a mobile application that meets all of the criteria. It's useful (best vantage points via maps, rules about what you can and can't bring to the fireworks, etc.), usable (nice UX in the app, but also the ability to pre-load SMS messages to send at midnight) and delightful (become part of the larger experience via the Telstra Colour Moments, Message The Bridge). Check out the demo video below.
hat tip: Contagious
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Newspaperswork - 6 Things YOu Can Miss While Reading A Newspaper
I somehow missed this prior to the holidays. The guys at Duval Guillaume recently created this lovely video in order to promote Newspaperswork, the marketing platform for all Belgian newspaper publishers. In the video, three of the top advertising executives in Belgium are offered a free ride to work in a chauffeur-driven sedan. Ostensibly they've been offered the chauffeur service so that they'll have time to read the newspaper on their way to the office.
Rather than ruin the payoff, I'd ask that you just watch below.
It's an incredibly clever and interesting use of video to demonstrate the power of print. Very meta.
Rather than ruin the payoff, I'd ask that you just watch below.
It's an incredibly clever and interesting use of video to demonstrate the power of print. Very meta.
Nokia - Open Song Project
Nokia is promoting the new Lumia 920 and the power of the phone's Pureview camera system. As part of the campaign, Nokia's advertising agency Naked Communications recently launched The Open Song Project. It is a collaboration between Nokia and Danish Rock Orchestra Spleen United that allows users to interact with the band's song 'Hibernation' to create a bespoke music video. The hook is that each user can create their own individual version of the video from the sixteen different sequences that appear in the song.
All the videos have been shot with the new Lumia 920 without filters or edits. Whether or not the link back to the phone is particularly strong, the interactive nature of the project is really exciting. The band isn't launching the song as a standard music video, instead putting it out there for people to create their own versions. Users can save and share the version of the video that they create, meaning that there is no 'official' music video, only fan creations from the component parts. It's sort of like a easily accessible version of Kutiman or a less collaborative version of Jam With Chrome.
Check out the video below or head over to The Open Song Project site to create your own version (note: too bad it's done in flash or else it'd make a hell of a Chrome Experiment.)
All the videos have been shot with the new Lumia 920 without filters or edits. Whether or not the link back to the phone is particularly strong, the interactive nature of the project is really exciting. The band isn't launching the song as a standard music video, instead putting it out there for people to create their own versions. Users can save and share the version of the video that they create, meaning that there is no 'official' music video, only fan creations from the component parts. It's sort of like a easily accessible version of Kutiman or a less collaborative version of Jam With Chrome.
Check out the video below or head over to The Open Song Project site to create your own version (note: too bad it's done in flash or else it'd make a hell of a Chrome Experiment.)
BMWi Born Electric
Here's a nice bit of mobile advertising. The BMWi Born Electric campaign allows users to take a virtual test drive in the BMW i8 or i3 concept car with Google Maps and Street View. After selecting one of the concept cars, users are put in the drivers seat and can choose a route that they want to take to any location or one of many landmarks in different cities. Users are given an in-car perspective and given a view of their route via Google Streetview. An accompanying map shows the location on the route and how much power is left in the electric battery. If you select the 'Interior 360' option you can pan around inside the car and get a 360 degree interior view of the car and a 360 exterior view of your location in Street View.
Targeted at city dwellers, the mobile experience is a really nice way to put the experience of the i3 and i8 into the users hands while showing how electric cars can easily fit into their existing urban life.
Have a play around with the London experience.
Targeted at city dwellers, the mobile experience is a really nice way to put the experience of the i3 and i8 into the users hands while showing how electric cars can easily fit into their existing urban life.
Have a play around with the London experience.
Subaru EyeSight
So how do you demonstrate a relatively dry product feature (collision avoidance system) of the new Subaru? That was the challenge addressed in this delightful video. Subaru decided to use mini electric cars to demonstrate the power of their new Eyesight collision avoidance system. They outfitted hundreds of these mini cars with stereoscopic cameras and miniature speakers that emitted different sounds when the system was engaged. The resulting video is a delight both visually and aurally. Check it out below.
via Adverblog
Lynx Space Academy
Space is all the rage these days and Lynx (Axe in the US) is getting into the act by sending people into space. As part of the massive multi-agency campaign Lynx is recruiting males from across the world to take part in the contest. There will be 22 winners, with the campaign running in 77 countries around the world. The semi-finalists will head off to Space Camp and the lucky winners fly up to 103km with the space tourism company, Space XC. They also enlisted legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin for the initial promo video (see below.)
The campaign lives on YouTube, Facebook and a separate Lynx Apollo campaign site. Lynx has also created a series of videos to promote the campaign. The general insight seems to be that nothing beats an astronaut. The videos show astronauts effortlessly pulling ladies left, right and center (see below). It'll be interesting to see how much of a boost/halo effect this campaign gets from the success of the Red Bull Stratos project. To be fair this campaign was in development long before the Felix Baumgartner jump, but the buzz generated by Red Bull can only help to amplify the Lynx effort.
The campaign lives on YouTube, Facebook and a separate Lynx Apollo campaign site. Lynx has also created a series of videos to promote the campaign. The general insight seems to be that nothing beats an astronaut. The videos show astronauts effortlessly pulling ladies left, right and center (see below). It'll be interesting to see how much of a boost/halo effect this campaign gets from the success of the Red Bull Stratos project. To be fair this campaign was in development long before the Felix Baumgartner jump, but the buzz generated by Red Bull can only help to amplify the Lynx effort.
Send A Tweet, Get A Cookie
Here's a nice piece of student work. As Design Taxi writes:
Called the ‘UID Cookie Box’, it reacts to tweets through lighting, and even refuses to give you another cookie if you had just gotten one—to help you watch your weight, maybe.
You could easily imagine this extending out to brand usages where a tweet (or any social action) acts as the currency to power a vending machines. Basically the next (automated) evolution to things like the Twitter powered Special K pop-up shop in London from a few months back.
via Design Taxi
To reward Twitter users, Sweden-based Daniel Jansson, Alexis Morin and Sharon Williams of Umeå Institute of Design have created a cookie box that gives out the sweet treat when users post a tweet with a certain hashtag on Twitter.
Called the ‘UID Cookie Box’, it reacts to tweets through lighting, and even refuses to give you another cookie if you had just gotten one—to help you watch your weight, maybe.
You could easily imagine this extending out to brand usages where a tweet (or any social action) acts as the currency to power a vending machines. Basically the next (automated) evolution to things like the Twitter powered Special K pop-up shop in London from a few months back.
via Design Taxi
Homepage For The Homeless
I love this idea from Australian charity Ladder and agency GPY&R Melbourne. Homepage For The Homeless is basically a twist on affiliate marketing. Based on the simple fact that a tremendous amount of holiday shopping is done online, they asked users to change their homepage to the 'Homepage For The Homeless.' The homepage is just a portal page featuring major retailers such as Amazon, iTunes, Deals Direct, etc. Users who started their journey on the Homepage For The Homeless and then went on to purchase on a participating site had 15% of their purchase value donated to the homeless.
It's an incredibly simple way for internet shoppers to do a little bit of good during the holidays. The ask on the part of the user is incredibly small and yet the (altruistic) reward is potentially huge.
It's an incredibly simple way for internet shoppers to do a little bit of good during the holidays. The ask on the part of the user is incredibly small and yet the (altruistic) reward is potentially huge.
A Few Things From The Holidays Worth Noting - Mobile Orchestra, PNC Christmas, Starbucks Spread The Cheer
AKQA Mobile Orchestra
A lovely collaborative mobile experience from AKQA: 'to celebrate the holidays, AKQA teamed up with members of the Pacific Chamber Symphony and Mussic Director Lawrence Kohl to create a synchronized mobile orchestra.' See the video below or experience it at mobileorchestra.com
PNC Twelve Days Of Christmas
A lovely collaborative mobile experience from AKQA: 'to celebrate the holidays, AKQA teamed up with members of the Pacific Chamber Symphony and Mussic Director Lawrence Kohl to create a synchronized mobile orchestra.' See the video below or experience it at mobileorchestra.com
PNC Twelve Days Of Christmas
For nearly 30 years US-based PNC bank has calculated a yearly Christmas Price Index. The CPI (as they call it) shows the current cost for one set of each of the gifts given in the song 'The Twelve Days Of Christmas.' For the past several years PNC has also create immersive digital experiences that bring the CPI to life. This year's 12 Days Of Christmas Experience is particularly well done. Check it out here.
Starbucks Spread The Cheer
When will brands learn that campaigns inviting user participation have the potential to backfire? You'd think that moderation of these campaigns would be the default after mishaps like McDonalds #McDStories. Starbucks is the in a growing list of participatory campaigns gone horribly wrong. Before the holidays the coffee giant invited the twittersphere to send out some holiday cheer, using the hashtag '#SpreadTheCheer.' Instead the company received a bombardment of tweets criticizing the company, particularly the low tax rates that the company pays in the UK (background: a couple weeks prior Starbucks was dragged in front of Parliament to address tax avoidance accusations). If that's not painful enough, Starbucks had also setup #SpreadTheCheer screens showing live tweets at the ice skating rink in front of the London Natural History Museum. #FAIL. Huffington Post has some of the choice tweets here.
When will brands learn that campaigns inviting user participation have the potential to backfire? You'd think that moderation of these campaigns would be the default after mishaps like McDonalds #McDStories. Starbucks is the in a growing list of participatory campaigns gone horribly wrong. Before the holidays the coffee giant invited the twittersphere to send out some holiday cheer, using the hashtag '#SpreadTheCheer.' Instead the company received a bombardment of tweets criticizing the company, particularly the low tax rates that the company pays in the UK (background: a couple weeks prior Starbucks was dragged in front of Parliament to address tax avoidance accusations). If that's not painful enough, Starbucks had also setup #SpreadTheCheer screens showing live tweets at the ice skating rink in front of the London Natural History Museum. #FAIL. Huffington Post has some of the choice tweets here.
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