Snickers bids on misspelt Google search words - “Because you’re not you when you’re hungry”
Snickers created a way to make bad typers recognise why they were unable to spell correctly. Snikkers Googel worked to bid on misspellings of common search terms. Each time someone misspelled a word (which was probably often, since people generally rely on Google to correct the terms for them) they got tailored ads asking them to “Grab yourself a Snikkers,” because “Yu cant spel properlie wen hungrie.” According to the agency, the campaign reached 500,000 people in three days of launch.
Robotic arm + Facebook connect = all kinds of awesome
It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I just love this! Okay, so you remember these arcade coin games?
WELL! Intel have created this awesome engagement piece based around this coin machine concept. But with the use of robotics.. Because who doesn’t love robotics?!
Users can connect via Facebook, and be bought into a live streaming environment where a sweet ass robotic arm spells out their name with blocks (share to get an extra block of course!). Users are placed in a queue to push the prize to the end of the dispenser.
Another similar execution that springs to mind is the Vodafone Power Piñata a few years back, where a robotic arm smashes a piñata with different weapons unlocked each day.
Ariel Fashion Shoot
Here’s another great one for Ariel stain removal, where users can connect via Facebook and onlookers can watch the product demo taking place as they walk through Central station in Stockholm.
Loving these experiential/socially interactive tie ins!
Here is an amazing idea that will be a sure game changer for the retail market. This is huge news for my big FMCG client so will be keeping a close eye on this one! Exciting stuff!
Mobeam is a new technology that enables point-of-sale barcode scanners to read coupons, loyalty cards, and other items directly from a smartphone. It sends pulses of light to the scanner’s sensor and mimics the black and white sequencing of a standard barcode.
The technology would enable retailers to send digital coupons and gift cards online and allow smartphone users to bring them up directly on their device, eliminating the need to carry physical papers with barcoded vouchers.
Mobeam has announced that the new Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone will be the world’s first mobile device to integrate its technology so it can beam traditional barcodes. The Galaxy S4 will be able to engage in mobile commerce at millions of locations worldwide without requiring retailers to make changes to their existing point-of-sale systems!
Mobeam’s CEO, Chris Sellers, said: Mobeam’s vision is simple: to make mobile commerce work with existing point of sale technology. Making cutting-edge smartphones work with barcodes might not sound sexy, but it means consumers now have the ability to beam items such as coupons, loyalty cards, gift cards and event tickets at millions of locations – something that was previously impossible. Barcodes are universal and won’t be replaced anytime soon, meaning retailers don’t need to upgrade their POS systems. The mobile industry now has a commerce technology that can work everywhere, and the world will see it first on the Samsung Galaxy S4.
In Israel, Coca-Cola decided to combine Facebook and face recognition technology to create FaceLook. By setting up machines across a theme park, it gave visitors a way of logging into their Facebook account using only their face and allowing them to post status updates. Simple, and a great example of the real and virtual worlds blending together.
C&A’s Facebook ‘Like’ Hangers
When Brazilian fashion retailer C&A decided to make its hanger digital, it came up with a brilliant idea to show how popular certain items are. They did this by allowing its hangers to display the number of likes each piece of clothing got on Facebook. That way, when customers wandered into the shop, they could see what the most wanted items are. This would make them more likely to purchase the item if they saw that it was more desirable. (Note: English subtitles are available by selecting captions in the video)
Singapore’s Biggest Tipping Jar
Designed to promote a reality TV series called ‘Can You Serve,’ BHH Asia Pacific created this giant vending machine which was filled with $1 coins. People could choose the establishment they wanted to tip by ‘liking’ it on Facebook. Once they did, a $1 coin would roll down the machine and make its way into the tip jar.
Twitter Vending Machine
South African brand BOS Ice Tea created this vending machine in Cape Town that serves you beverages whenever you tweet it. Through its own account, users would tweet the vending machine using the hashtag #BOSTWEET4T and it would dispense them a drink.
Swedish Army Recruitment
Looking to find 4,000 applicants for 1,500 new positions, the Swedish armed forces came up with a unique way of getting people’s attention. Revolving around helping others (since that’s what the armed forces do), a large box was placed in Stockholm city centre. Different individuals were locked in the box for a minimum of one hour with no contact from the real world. They could only be saved by those on the outside, who would replace them and the cycle would continue.
KLM Live Reply
For a while, KLM could do no wrong with its social media campaigns, releasing hit after hit with amazing regularity. This stunt was to show that KLM replies to every single tweet within an hour of it being sent, and it did this by setting up a human powered billboard that showed the reply in real life.
Tesco QR Code Shopping
The original and by far the best example of its kind, Tesco set up a QR shopping area for busy commuters in South Korea. This allowed them to do their grocery shopping while they were travelling to and from work since their lives are so busy. The success of the campaign wasn’t enough to make QR codes any greater than a fad, but it did prove that if you give it the right angle, they could be very useful.
Facebook Connected Wristbands
RFID hasn’t received much love in recent times – although Samsung and Sony are trying to change that with its NFC tags – but much like Tesco’s QR codes, RFID can really enhance an experience provided it’s implemented correctly. Mobile network provider Orange did this by getting attendeees at the Roxy Pro 2011 surf event to sign in with their Facebook account and transfer that data to a bracelet that contained RFID technology. From there, people could post to their profiles and win daily prizes.
Angry Birds Live
Created for T-Mobile, people in Barcelona got to play a real-life game of Angry Birds through a smartphone and see the destruction unfold in front of them as they played. Genius in every sense of the word.
Heineken U-Code
Another great use of QR codes displayed at the beginning of 2012 where Heineken, at a music festival, decided to give everyone personalised QR codes. Those attending the event could scan them and find out something interesting about said person, giving them a nice icebreaker.
The Amazing Mind-Reader
Not one that strictly uses social media, but still a great way of using social to hammer home a point. An online bank gets a ‘psychic’ to tell unsuspecting visitors detailed information about themselves, showing just how much information we reveal about ourselves online.
The Literal Twitter Follow-back
Pizza chain Mellow Mushroom took the concept of following on Twitter a bit too literally as it dreamt up of the this great campaign. For everyone who followed its Twitter account, it would have its mascot literally follow them in real life. With family and friends in on the act, it made what could have been a creepy idea into something fun.
Mercedes-Benz Twitter Race
Using only the tweets of fans to run their cars, Mercedes-Benz created this innovative campaign that pitted four drivers against each other, choosing their own path to the finish line. Four tweets was the equivalent of one mile and so it got a lot of engagement that made it a massively successful campaign.
KLM Meet & Seat
Another KLM entry, this time using the power of LinkedIn to connect you with passengers on your flight. Making it an opt-in service, you can choose what information to reveal about yourself and see a seat map of the plane, showing who else opted into the service. It wasn’t as successful as its other campaigns but it did show that KLM was trying to take social media in a different direction, and give it more practical uses.
The Real-Life Facebook Wall
A small village in Switzerland called Obermutten decided to take the concept of the Facebook wall literally by creating their own physical Facebook wall. Anyone who liked the page would have their page printed out and put on the wall. What was a small campaign exploded in size, to the point that it was more engaging than Lady Gaga’s, Coca-Cola’s and Justin Bieber’s Facebook pages.
Back to basics: Weed Killer product packaging for the domesticated man. While he might help out with the washing, change nappies and cry during The Notebook, in his mind he’s still all bad-ass action.
Check out the case study vid, it’s hilarious. Just goes to show, again, that consumers really appreciate brands who don’t take themselves too seriously.
Radio Ghost - Radio takeover driving by scenes of deaths
“Radio Geister”, a project developed for St John Ambulance in Hamburg, Germany, won a Grand LIA at the London International Awards this last week. One out of eleven deaths caused by car accidents has to do with driving after drinking. Radio spots were created, presented from the perspective of radio ghosts, fatal drunk driving accident victims. Small radio stations in the shape of wooden death crosses were placed around Hamburg, at the sites where car accidents caused by alcohol had happened. The mini radio stations were able to interrupt the signal of radio stations popular with young drivers, providing a personal challenge to avoid drinking and driving.
Intel’s new Facial Recognition software and what it means for advertisers
Imagine sitting in your lounge room with your boyfriend/girlfriend, bored and watching TV - when an ad comes on and strikes a chord with you - maybe a holiday package for couples. Imagine being served these kind of ads every time you watch TV. Ads that are actually relevant to you.. and you never have to view another Huggies or Australian Pensioner’s Insurance Agency ad again!
Intel Lab’s have just released a prototype Facial Recognition software which allows advertisers to target ads based on gender, age, kids/no kids, partnered/alone and mood.
These new developments from Intel Labs show us that this kind of targeted advertising is not all that far away! Excitement on the ad front. Never a dull moment, really. :)
M. x
[The video below shows us exact facial recognition, which is an amazing possibility and huge investment for any MMPORG! The nerd in me just got crazy excited.]
Some great pointers I noted coming out of a Youngblood’s Careers Night a few months ago. Enjoy!
Warren Brown, Creative Founder, BMF Excuses for shutting down good work:
“It’s not what the client is expecting”
“Don’t waste your time, the client doesn’t have a decent budget”
“The client isn’t ready for this sort of stuff, maybe in a few years time”
“We don’t do that sort of work here, maybe another agency would”
Don’t question your own judgement. Don’t go soft if you really genuinely feel it in your heart. It’s easy to have a great idea but it’s really hard to get it made. A good tip to sell it in: “What you said made me have the idea.” Get people to believe they had more to do with it than you did.
Jo from iKnoWho (recruitment agency) Know your strengths, find what makes you unique and what makes you stand out and work from that.
What core things you have worked on? What do others value in you? Do you have a USP (unique selling point)? Think about your skills ‘pie’. Know your level.
Do a sense check. Can I do it? Make sure you know you can.
CV tips Use the “so what” theory - think about your CV from the reader’s perspective - So what if You came first in your graduating sports team? How does that benefit your employer?
Think of it like a shop window. Think of it as exactly the same - Make them want to get to know you. Short and sweet. No cover page. Keep it focused. Your first page of your CV should say everything about you.
Absolutely NO TYPOS. 1-2 pages max. No fluff.
Great CV is: clean design, shouts the name, summary of employment, use of logos, position, dates, responsibilities, achievements, key campaigns. Capture attention straight away.
Traps to avoid: clutter and trying to stand out. The cover letter is dead. Be personal, write the name. Be specific to the role/company. State your intention/why you’re applying. Include a referral, get someone to pass your resume on. Highlight relevant skills.
Your personal brand
Google your name - what does it say about you
Sensor check your profile online
Facebook
Blogs
Twitter (professional platform)
Linked in (professional platform)
Potential employers want to know who you know
How to shine in the interview Preparation is key. Research the shit out of them! The agency, the people, clients and work, competitors, latest news. Information and familiarity is key. Be current. Understand what’s going on in the industry.
Be ready with opinions and be ready to back them up. Your opinions are valued, that’s why your in the industry. Have a list of questions.
Have examples ready of how you meet the brief, how you are exactly what they are looking for.
In the first ten minutes of an interview - they decide whether or not they want to hire you. They spend the rest of the interview justifying their decision. Interviewers use ‘I like them because they are like me’ approach. The more the interviewer asks, the more favorably the candidates are evaluated. Candidates with portfolios on laptops/iPads really stand out.
Key takeouts: - Know yourself. Skills and USPs - Be tight with application and your personal brand, online brand - Prepare and research for your interview.
Guerilla Marketing - Grim Reaper in Martin Place, Sydney
Walking through Martin Place this morning in peak hour, I was shocked as I almost walked into a person dressed in a full grim reaper costume!! Did a double take and almost had a heart attack! Way too early in the morning for that.
Apparently the grim reaper follows and stalks people that were walking in the area smoking - for ‘World No Tobacco Day’.
Pretty scary and cool idea, it definitely got people talking!
Things I learnt from Youngbloods/Amnesia Razorfish Digital Consumer talk - these are the words of Iain McDonald.
M. x
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3D printer - layer by layer. Already we’re printing human organs. The first person in the world last year had a kidney printed and transplanted, already the future of medicine is rapidly changing.
Youngbloods are digital natives. We didnt know what life was like without the Internet, or growing up with it. YouTube video of the baby with an ipad, someone passes over a magazine and the baby tries to scroll it with their finger. We forget what life was like before.
Samsung smart window, smart TVs. Apple is rumoured to release a new TV this year. Samsung has some incredible things coming out within the next 12 months. TV is still a very important device - its going to evolve massively and it’s going to change all of our jobs very quickly over the next 3-4 years.
The future of glass video. Made by a glass company, it’s not google and it’s not apple, we’re not just seeing the usual suspects looking at doing these things, it’s coming from a much wider more diverse group.
Wooden mouse - worlds first mouse 1957. Has less of a role in our daily lives, moving towards gestures and touch. On its way out.
Classifying change:
Change by exception. E.g. Problem with binge drinking so the government puts a tax on RDT’s (vodka cruisers etc) to stop people drinking so much. So find a one off rule to solve a particular problem.
Incremental change. Over the years you can see that processors get faster and faster and it doubles every 18 months in speed. We tend not to notice that so much. It’s much easier to deal with things that change slowly.
Pendulum change. Things that go from black to white, liberal government to labour government. Drinking coke to drinking pepsi. Stoping doing one thing and starting doing another.
Paradigm change. Like climate change, you literally have to fundamentally rethink the problem and think outside the box. It’s that much of a paradigm to you, your business to everyone around you.
The funny thing with digital, is that it’s a little bit of all of these things, some things happen really quickly and other things take quite a while to get here. We can’t always predict what’s going to happen. That’s quite a business problem, if you think about all the businesses we have to work with, this is a real issue dealing with this change and knowing what part of change we are actually having to deal with.
Example, Google - you won’t know whats going to happen until it actually happens, 18 months ago google rolled out instant preview search, if you were Pepsi you were no longer optimizing on the word pepsi, you were optimizing on the letter P.
These changes happen really, really quickly and we have to deal with them as they happen. Just a week ago Google changed it’s whole algorithm on search. A lot of clients we had were first second and third ranked in search, suddenly found themselves on the second page. Suddenly weighted their search algorithm towards social very heavily. Search strategy that is social to make it all work.
Instant search preview, now the font must be big enough to read in the preview pane.
Gaming surgeons are 27% faster and make 37% fewer mistakes. Ask your surgeon if he plays Call of Duty, probably going to get a better outcome!
Half of us use our smartphones when we’re in our bed, and a third of us use them when we’re on the toilet.
Dealing with change is tough for a lot of businesses. borders out of business, what went wrong for them? They made the fundamental mistake that so many business make - they took their old business and plonked it online thinking that the way people shop physically is going to be the way that people shop digitally. It’s a classic mistake - we behave very differently when we are in front of a screen. The persona that we use for advertising isn’t the same for behaviour that acts out when we are using a screen.
Photo taken at the movies recently, queue for the online purchase was longer than the hard copy ticket queue. A classic example of the consumer moving faster than the business itself. With NFC, we should be able to walk into the cinema, tap your phone and walk in. Businesses still need to get to that point where they’ve adopt these technologies to make it happen.
New platforms and new consumers actually mean new business models. A better strategy is not to try and plan everything, analysis paralysis fear.
Fire before you do the aiming! Get out there and try things sooner. It’s very difficult for businesses to try to adapt to this. Mark Zuckerberg - “if we launch something on Facebook and it’s perfect, we’ve failed”
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