Leo Burnett - Cultural Fuel

A lovely example of an act that inspires through its simple, human appeal and relevance.

Read all about it here.

(Those crafty Canadians!  :)  )

Thanks Mylene!

Tweet This Post

Here’s how Nokia placed its name on the map for navigation devices:

The World’s Biggest Signpost from adghost on Vimeo.

It’s an interactive signpost, and also an act, kind of like an ambient, real-time Qype or Yelp. The Good Things signpost was entertaining and useful for people, while at the same time integrating Nokia’s product (Nokia Maps, Ovi, and the handsets) in an unobtrusive way.

Via Björn, via fubiz

Tweet This Post

Here’s the latest promotional initiative from Swiss supermarket chain Migros, Dominomania:

Dominomania - image from Migros.ch

• buy a playing board (a bargain at 6 Euros 50)
• for every 20 CHF (about 13 EUR) you spend at a Migros checkout, collect 1 of 36 domino tiles (they’re wrapped to keep you guessing if you get one you haven’t already got)
• HOWEVER: max. 10 tiles per person per purchase
• HOWEVER: on “Double Dominoday”, collect 2 (TWO!) tiles per purchase value of 20 CHF
• PLUS: on one previously announced day, a purchase over 60 CHF got you a “Joker” tile
• Jokers are also available for successful players of a corresponding online game
• spare tiles can be traded freestyle or during special trading days.

In the end, what you get is a Swiss-themed domino board game (playable even with less than the full 36 tiles).

Unattractive incentive? And way too complicated? Apparently not.

According to a Migros press release, 50 mio. tiles found a new home, the corresponding online game got played 4.5 mio. times and tiles were traded on 53 trading platforms (Migros: Die Dominomania im Rückblick). Swiss blog publisher blogwerk.com, at one point, counted 563 concurrent auctions on Ricardo.ch. Today, a Google search on “Dominomania” (not really a common expression) finds 164.000 entries. Not quite bad.

What do we learn?

• collectibles work
• trading and swapping works
• a little bit of complexity is not necessarily doomed, especially if it builds on learned patterns
• the journey is the reward - and a good journey seems to be one with group activities and a bit of competition.

Tweet This Post

Next up: live footage.
(Don’t watch this one if you’re prone to motion-sickness, though)

(Via Mashable, some background info after the click)

Tweet This Post

I had just read this article about marketers not sure how to take advantage of Location-Based Services, specifically ones that are Social-Network based, and one of our Account people popped their head in my office to ask “What’s up with FourSquare? Is it worthwhile? And is it significant for Marketers?”

Good questions all. Foursquare allows you to “check in” to locations and awards badges for different user activities. The Article correctly states that some restaurants and bars are already embracing it, but the activities and offers are still in early days. Note the offer from Wow Bao in my building below:

Yeah – it’s a freebie offer, but I find it interesting that there is such a conversation about “is this interesting for marketers” and “how will marketers use it” – since it should make sense to pay attention to if you’ve got at least some of your audience that uses these kinds of things, and you’re worth having a relationship with in the first place (which, granted, is a big question for some marketers).

Here’s why: think about why restaurants and bars already jumped on the bandwagon. They have to develop relationships with their customers – they don’t have a choice. They don’t have a retailer that will put up POS material, or vast amounts of online ad spend (generally), and most of the places I’ve seen don’t do TV. For them, the relationship with the person in that establishment is everything, and finding new ways to prolong and enrich that relationship is the key to their success. For them the only question would be “why would I not get involved?”

Now I’m looking back over the last 12 months and thinking about the times I’ve mentioned doing something like this for a marketer, and thinking “You know what? My Client needs to break out from the shelf, their target is pretty well-connected digitally, they are not always getting the POS attention they want, or always deserve, they want more engagement, and since their relationship with the consumer is everything for them as well … so Why not?”

Bonus topic for further conversation: How different would the strategy for the marketer be from what they use for Facebook and Twitter?

Tweet This Post

Find more here

Nike True City Full Trailer - Official HD Version from NikeSportswear on Vimeo.

Tweet This Post

The building is detected in real time by its shape. Characters are then superimposed over the live video. Twitter feed comments are located via GPS tagging. Store information, reservations and other infrastructure is part of the iPhone application.
see more here…

(via twitter)

Tweet This Post

Loving the Google goggles:

I know that there have been some iphone apps like this for a while now, and they will get better, but I think it will only really take off when the platform wars go to another level.

Most people have some natural fear to pick a platform based on capabilities like this - since they are afraid that they will end up with “Betamax” - or the losing technology in a format war.

For sure - marketers would love to pick this kind of functionality up and make great experiences for their consumer with them, but many will also be hesitant, until they know that a significant installed base can enjoy them.  Who’s feeling brave?  Let’s get going!

via: Nico Nicomedes on the TechCheck GoogleWave.  Thanks Nico!

Tweet This Post

Seriously fun!

Fashionista - The New Webcam Social Shopper

It’s the best of shopping and video gaming!

Thanks, Miles!

Tweet This Post

What Esquire magazine has done here is a wonderful example how augmented reality can create interactive additional content for a print magazine. Not to mention the PR they can generate out of this issue! It goes to show that with a little thinking, print and digitla media can really profit from each other.

Read more about it here, or check out the interview with the issue’s creators:

Tweet This Post