What Is Sisomo?

The digital revolution is transforming marketing, entertainment and technology everywhere. The boundaries between media and advertising, content and products, creator and producer, audience and critic are dissolving. This new world demands new language.

sisomo is the powerful combination of Sight, Sound and Motion on screen. sisomo is an idea at Saatchi & Saatchi’s core. A new word that powers our creatives, our interactives, our media thinkers, our planners, our account lines. sisomo is the great melting pot of creative communications and digital technologies. Life gets more fun when you think sisomo.

sisomo is not about tools and technologies. It’s about people, ideas and creativity. The idea with the most attitude, personality, authenticity and truth, wins.

Screens to Shop With

Source: contagious.com

A number of companies around the world are utilizing the interactivity of screens on the Path to Purchase. In Brazil, to inspire shoppers with new ideas on how to cook with mayonnaise, Hellman’s has released the Hellmann’s Recipe Cart. The supermarket cart features a screen that recognizes ingredients on the shelf and instantly suggests a new recipe for Hellman’s that incorporates those ingredients. If a shopper decides to make the recipe, a map helps them find the remaining ingredients in-store, and lets them share the recipe with friends.

In South Korea, retail warehouse Emart created a mobile app that directs shoppers to the location of discounted products throughout its store. Information is received through LED-lighting that sends signals to a smartphone through special lenses installed on the shopping cart. By installing the special Emart app, shoppers can learn where they are in the store and helps navigate them to where they should go. When the shopper arrives at the product, the smartphone communicated with the lighting and shows a discount coupon. 

Printed Wi-Fi

Source: springwise

Microsoft has placed a Wi-Fi enabled print ad in a special edition of Forbes magazine to promote its new cloud-based Office 365 software. The ad consisted of four back-to-back pages with an ultra-thin router and battery placed in-between. Once activated, the ad could provide up to four users with 15-days free internet, courtesy of T-Mobile. Although the battery only allowed for two to three hours of power, a flap in the ad allowed for users to plug in a mini USB cable to gain extra charge.

Atom Sized Film

Source: AdWeek

IBM have made ‘the world’s smallest movie’, using a using a special microscope they invented to move atoms around on a surface. The movie titled, “A Boy and His Atom,” is a rudimentary stop-motion animation made by IBM scientists. The film consists of 250 frames and shows a boy playing and dancing with an atom. The film is accompanied by a behind-the-scenes clip about the research and technology the company has done on the nanoscale in past decades. IBM researchers have shown that while today’s electronic devices need roughly 1 million atoms to store a single bit of data, only 12 atoms are actually needed to store one bit. Meaning that one day enormous amounts of data could be stored on devices as small as a fingernail.

Cups That Creates Instant Friends

Source: AdAge

Budweiser Brazil has created a cup that speeds up making friends over a pint by instantly making them friends on Facebook. The Budweiser “Buddy Cup” is embedded with a chip integrated with Facebook. When someone arrives at a Budweiser event they connect their Facebook profile with a Buddy Cup; and when two Buddy Cup users clink their cups together they automatically become Facebook friends.

Look Away to Pause

Source: Cube26.com

22 April 2013: No need to worry about missing a moment on YouTube if your attention gets called elsewhere. ‘Look Away’ is a new Apple app that will pause your YouTube clip when you look away from the screen, turning it back on when your gaze returns. The app also allows you to mute a video simply by telling it to ‘shhh.’ It’s the equivalent of hands-free remote control and may become the norm for how we control our viewing of media.

Google Glasses

Source: Reuters

19 April 2013:

Google has sent out a beta version of its Google Glasses to a select group of people. The ‘glasses’ (there aren’t actually any lenses) are part of a new generation of wearable technology that allows the user to communicate with friends, search the internet, and check emails wherever you are. The difference between Google Glasses and your mobile device is that you’re wearing it and interacting with the web via a head-mounted display. The glasses have already been featured on the runway in Diane von Furstenberg’s 2012 fashion show, and companies like Warby Parker and Ray Bans are hoping to collaborate with Google to create fashionable frames to go along with the device. The glasses are expected to become available to the public in 2014.

Tags: Google,Google Glasses,wearable technology

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Crowdsourcing “Veronica Mars”

Source: Kickstarter.com

18 April 2013: The TV series Veronica Mars ended after just three seasons in 2007, but a passionate fan following will see it revived as a feature film through the crowdsourcing site Kickstarter. Series creator, Rob Thomas, wrote a movie based on the show shortly after it finished, and Warner Bros. agreed to back the film if there was sufficient fan support.

Thomas and the series’ original cast used Kickstarter to get fans to pledge toward their $2 million goal, and reached in just two days. To date the project has successfully raised $5.7 million, with a total of 91,585 backers; becoming the Kickstarter with the most backers and the highest-funded movie on the crowdsourcing site.

The movie is set to be released in 2014 with many backers already set to attend the premier, becoming featured extra in the film, and one lucky backer getting a small speaking role in the film.

58% Bank On Mobile

Source: Techvert.com

15 April: A report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, InMobi, and Viggle, reveals that 58% of consumers now use their bank’s mobile app; 8% higher than those using a bank’s mobile website. The report also showed that people are using their smartphones to make different kinds of payments including paying bills; purchasing real-world services, such as meals or drinks via a pre-paid card on the phone; buying tickets to events and for travel; and paying back friends and family.

Wi-Fi Movie Poster

12 April 2013: The traditional movie poster has been reinvented thanks to Wi-Fi. Movie posters promoting the South Korean film, The Berlin File, provided pedestrians with free wireless connectivity that enabled them to access trailers and provided the chance to purchase cinema tickets. Using wireless-enabled devices attached to the billboards holding posters for the movie, commuters who stood next to the posters received a free wireless connection that automatically loaded details about the film when clicked. As a result, wireless users accounted for a 28.5% increase in traffic on the film’s website and those users stayed five times longer than standard visitors.

Instagram to Receive Recipes

11 April 2013: The rise of visual social media has certainly increased the chances of seeing what your friends have had to eat. Now one company in Sweden is hoping to capitalize on this trend by sending instructions on how to prepare the dishes featured in the photos. CT Food, an Asian food supplier, is encouraging customers to use Instagram to take pictures of their restaurant Asian meals in order to receive instructions on how to prepare them at home and tips on how to use the ingredients. CT Food believes that it can create value for its customers through “education and skills.” Users simply address any cooking questions and food photos on Twitter to @askctfood.

Content Makes This Golden Age of TV: Barnhill

8 April 2013: Durk Barnhill, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi New York, discusses the power of storytelling and effective content marketing, and their roles in television’s increasing popularity, on Bloomberg Television’s “In The Loop”.

Sak’s Helps Employees Eat Healthy

Source: WellBeSolutions.com

5 April 2013: Sak’s Fifth Avenue has partnered with LocalSqr – a company whose app aims to encourage healthy eating by promoting locally grown food – as part of the company’s employee wellbeing program. In the program, each Sak’s employee will receive a weekly email providing them with nutritional advice and healthy recipes. Employees are also given challenges, asked to keep a food diary and encouraged to use the app whenever possible. The program was tested on a pilot group of 165 employees; of those, 52% had cooked at home more and 57% had purchased food from local markets. The partnership’s success will see the luxury retail store spread the initiative to all its 11,000 employees nationwide.

The Rise of the Second Screen

Source: Pocket-Lint.com

2 April 2013: The more screens you have, the more likely you are to engage in media multitasking, according to a study by the Time Warner Medialab. 52% of people are likely to use computers and televisions simultaneously, and this figure increases to 60% for those with a smartphone, television and computer. 64% of those who own four screens or more use social media while watching TV. 60% of US residents are expected to own smartphones by 2016, boosting the concept of ‘Social TV’ (using your second screen to interact on social networks while watching TV).

Day and Night Smartphone Use

Source: mnn.com

25 March 2013: A recent study by Arbitron Mobile shows what activities dominate smartphone day/night time usage. The analysis shows that prime time on television is used for playing games and using social media; whereas daytime use is primarily used for voice calls, messaging, browsing, social networking and gaming. The study also showed that average time spent on smartphone devices is fairly consistent through the day. The findings are consistent with prior research indicating that mobile use surges in the morning as people check things like weather and traffic, and in the evening when they use their devices as second screens while watching television or leisure activities like gaming.

Farmageddon: The World’s First Online Drought Hits Farmerama

22 March 2013: Everything was fine until the 22nd March 2013, when the drought disaster hit more than 45 million online farmers around the world who opened their accounts on Farmerama. The fields are dry, the grass is brown, the animals’ tongues are hanging out for lack of water, and every farm is a catastrophe. Everything that was carefully planted and long cultivated and cared for has fallen victim to the first online global drought. What now?

The initiative by Saatchi & Saatchi Frankfurt for World Water Day aims to help the UN Water and the Ending Hunger Movement of FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization) call attention to water scarcity and the problems of real life farmers around the world. Online farmers are given the choice to carry on playing, or to help end the virtual drought by passing on the message or making a donation for low-cost pumps, water tanks, tubing and other supplies for poor farmers.

Read full press release

#DammiPiùVoce: Turn Up My Voice

11 March 2013: On http://www.coordown.it, 50 people with Down syndrome asked 50 celebrities for a particular donation. Not money: they asked for a video. A video in which those celebrities ask the public to support the rights of people with Down Syndrome through a donation, thus amplifying their voices.  A video that, if shared by the celebrities on their social networks, would have more chance of being listened to.

Every person has asked his or her idol to donate a video: Luca asked Tiziano Ferro, Giacono asked Francesco Totti, Sara asked Fiorello, Andrea asked Sharon Stone…why not dream? The goal is to reach March 21st, World Down Syndrome Day, with the highest number of celebrity videos donated. You can follow the campaign on twitter.com/coordown and facebook.com/coordown.

Read the full press release

Lexus Moves into Movies

Source: Lexus-Global.com

4 March 2013: Lexus and Weinstein Company are partnering to launch five short-films this year. Each 3 - 6 minute film will be by different international amateur directors and will be based on the theme “Life is Amazing.” Like feature films, these shorts will be played around the world before they are placed on the dedicated website, www.LexusShortFilms.com. To promote the films, Lexus plans to focus on its social media platforms. “We have a big Twitter and Facebook fan base, but also we get about 20 million visitors per year on lexus.com and have the ability to rotate promotions there,” says Brian Bolain, Lexus’ national manager of marketing strategy. 

Telecom Ad Series To Offer Tech Tips

23 February 2013: A creative initiative by Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand and Telecom New Zealand, ““Tech in a Sec” is a multimedia campaign with TV ads directing customers to online clips that address the most commonly asked questions from its website.”

Read the full article at The New Zealand Herald

Own Your Own Subway Virtual Store

Source: psfk.com

21 February 2013: A Subway online promotion gives participants the opportunity to run their own virtual Subway store. The ‘Build Your Own Virtual Restaurant Challenge’ gives young entrepreneurs around the world the chance to get a taste for running their own business. Participants are set a series of tasks typical of Subway stores, including choosing a store location, producing promotional videos and copy, being interviewed by the head of global development, and driving customer traffic to boost their leaderboard ranking by spreading the word through social media. The top five finalists will be flown to the US to meet Subway’s CEO and global executive team.

KLM’s Personalized Maps

Source: youtube.com

20 February 2013: Dutch airline KLM wants to make your travel experience as personalized and unique as possible by helping you creating a bespoke sight-seers map for your next holiday. The website http://mustseemap.klm.com>http://mustseemap.klm.com enables you to select a destination and invite friends to contribute tips and provide their best recommendations. It takes three week to produce, but KLM will send a physical copy of your map, with all the tips included.

Lexus Blends-Out

Source: Saatchi.com

For the 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition Lexus and Team One combined mobile and print to create an interactive experience based on the idea that some things can’t be blended into the background. “Blend Out” allows readers to use their mobile phones to view videos of swimsuit models walking on the page. In the ad, three models are camouflaged within the scene; in order to reveal the models, readers can scan a QR code or go to LexusBlendOut.com with their smartphones. When they place their phones on the page, the models come to life, walking out from the background and revealing themselves in their swimsuits.

Tide Takes #2 Spot in Super Bowl Ad Meter

7 February 2013: Tide’s Super Bowl Commercial, “Miracle Stain,” was rated the second best ad of the weekend’s big game in USA Today‘s prestigious Ad Meter poll.

Created by Saatchi & Saatchi New York, the :60 spot tells the story of the miraculous appearance of a shirt stain in the likeness of Joe Montana.

The commercial debuted with much fanfare and delight in the third quarter of Sunday night’s game between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. “Miracle Stain” has garnered phenomenal press coverage and sits at the top of many “top Super Bowl ad” lists - including Ad Age, Creativity, Forbes and The New York Times.

‘Genie’ Kaley Cuoco Grants Wishes in All-New Toyota RAV4 Commercial

1 February 2013: Embodying the modern, stylish and smart characteristics of the all-new RAV4, Toyota’s new “Wish Granted” commercial starring Kaley Cuoco will make its broadcast debut on February 3. The star of CBS hit show “The Big Bang Theory” will appear granting the wishes of a family in unexpected and creative ways during one of the biggest sporting and advertising events of the year. Cuoco’s comedic chops made her a perfect partner in bringing the RAV4 Genie character to life.

“The all-new RAV4 is a testament to the people that drive it and live lifestyles that are full of energy and enthusiasm, which is one of the reasons we are so pumped to work with Kaley to showcase it,” said Jack Hollis, Vice President of Toyota Division Marketing at Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. “We wanted to share Toyota’s ‘Let’s Go Places’ spirit of journey with viewers of the big game in a light and relatable way.”

Read full press release

Investing In Mobile Start-Ups To Reconnect

An App To Curbing The Wine Habits Of Scotland’s Women

Source: dailymail.co.uk

17 January 2013: In an effort to curb the drinking habits of Scotland’s women, Scottish health officials have released an app aimed at reducing the incidents of alcohol-related illness and death amongst Scottish women. Playing on the human tendency towards vanity, the app shows women how much older they’ll look in ten years’ time if they drink 10 or more glasses of wine per week. The Drinking Mirror app snaps a picture of the users face and asks how many 175ml glasses of wine they drink every week. If the user drinks between one and five glasses of wine per week, the app morphs your face into a reddened and pudgier version of your current self. Drink six glasses or more and the app will make you look like a bona-fided alcoholic, with a bright red nose, sagging jowls and bloodshot eyes.

Trend: Phablets Are The New Normal

Source: tabtimes.com

15 January 2013: Phablets (phone-cum-tablet) are increasingly becoming the mobile norm. The trend of larger screened phones can be seen in every smart phone manufacturer from Samsung’s 5.3 inch device, to the iPhone 5’s 4 inch screen. And the phones are getting bigger for a reason, the way we use these devices is changing – smart phones are turning into tablets, allowing them to be used for more functions – internet shopping, messaging, streaming. As Natasha Lomas of TechCrunch said, ‘this is technology evolution in action’.

Televisions Still Domination Media Consumption

Source: Nielsen

14 January 2013: On average American’s spend six days (or 144 hours) per month watching TV; and of the 289 million TV owners, 119 million own four or more televisions – making TV’s the device to beat when it comes to media engagement. Internet usage follows close behind with 212 million active users, spending comparably less time online at 28.5 hours per month online; while online, 20% of time was spent using social networking sites. Feature mobile phones ownership has declined significantly, from 82% ownership in 2009 to 44% in 2012. Of those 56% who own a smart phone 78% use their phones to find a store, 63% check prices, while 22% comment on purchases. Of those TV households 16% own a tablet device, and surprisingly 55% of users still own a VCR!

Coca-Cola Happiness Machine Accepts Carols For Payment

Source: designtaxi.com

14 January 2013: In the latest incarnation of Coca-Cola’s Happiness Machine, passing Swedes were able to sing a Christmas carol in exchange for a Coke. The vending machine was specially made to incorporate speakers, a karaoke machine, two microphones and Christmas carols so that brave individuals and friends could sing-a-long too well known Christmas carols. The machine helped Coke to engage with its customer, while spreading fun and Christmas cheer. A previous Happiness Machine took hugs as payment for Cokes.

Mobile App That Lets Shoppers Skip The Checkout Line

Scorce: facebook/Q-Thru

19 December 2012: Q-Thru is a new app that allows shoppers to shop, scan and buy their items on their smartphones, avoiding checkout lanes altogether! Once a retailer has signed up, customers can download the Q-Thru smartphone app, input their credit card information and start shopping – scanning items’ barcodes as they go along. Q-Thru’s software allows for a retailer’s products and pricing to be seamlessly synchronized with the secure and fully PCI-compliant Q-Thru cloud. Plus, shoppers can view in-store specials and a product’s nutritional information as they shop. To complete their shopping experience up, a customer just needs to enter a passcode, scan a QR code, and show their mobile receipt to a store employee at the door.

F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi Transforms Honda Fit Twist Into Mixing Deck

7 December 2012: Launched at the last Auto Salon in São Paulo, the new Honda Fit Twist was designed exclusively for Brazil, and is now presented to consumers in a campaign uniting music, technology and electronic music icons N.A.S.A. 

In the innovative new ‘Drivemixer’ campaign, conceived by F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, the Honda Fit Twist was transformed into a professional mixer, enabling N.A.S.A. (AKA L.A. based Squeak E. Clean and Brazilian DJ Zegon), to create a new track using the Honda as a musical instrument.  The car was turned into a keyboard module, and all the elements in the track composed by Squeak E. Clean (Sam Spiegel) and DJ Zegon (Zé Gonzales) were triggered by features transformed in the car.  The result is this video (see above) that presents to N.A.S.A. fans the unpublished song “Overdrive”, composed by the duo inside the Honda Fit Twist, with the special participation of Derrick Green, Sepultura’s vocalist.

Read full press release

New CinePrint Technology Puts Lexus Print Ad in Motion

26 November 2012: Team One continues to play and experiment with traditional advertising. Using a Lexus ES Sports Illustrated print ad with an iPad screen, the industry first transforms a static ad into moving video. With CinePrint(TM), the seemingly standard ad is converted into a full-fledged digital experience.

After placing the iPad underneath the ad, the static image comes to life - the sky flashes and pulsates with a brilliant color before exploding to the beat of the music and the engine revs as the car begins driving through the night. While most traditional mash-ups redirect to a digital experience, Team One was able to create a multi-sensory experience that combines sight, sound, and touch all within the print advertisement.

To experience the ad first hand, find the Lexus ad in the October 15 print edition of Sports Illustrated. Or watch the demo video to see for yourself: www.Lexus.com/stunning

Guinness Storehouse’s High-Tech Experience

Source: popsop.com

29 October 2012: Guinness is increasing its attractions at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin with a multi-million pound expansion that will allow visitors to discover more about the brand and its origins. Located on the fourth-floor of the building, the ‘Guinness Global’ experience includes the Guinness Community Map which enables people to explore a global view of Guinness around the world on one of the world’s largest interactive screens. Visitors will also be able to post messages from the Storehouse, leave messages from Facebook and link with their local Guinness Facebook community.

Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney’s Virtual Meritocracy

23 October 2012: “Keen to get your foot in the door at Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney? As any young creative knows, one of the biggest challenges is cracking that door open. But aspiring creatives can now go inside the Sydney branch after it claimed to be the first agency in the world to team up with Google to create Saatchi Street View. Head into the virtual agency, search for and respond to a hidden brief, and those with the best ideas get a chance to win an internship at the Sydney agency.”

Read full article at stoppress.co.nz

McDonald’s China Brings Angry Birds Into Restaurants

Source: gamerchica.com

22 October 2012: McDonald’s China and Rovio are providing patrons of select McDonald’s restaurants the opportunity to unlock hidden modes, stages and power-ups in Angry Birds if they are playing the popular game whilst grabbing a bite to eat in-store. Different McDonald’s outlets around China will a varied different in-game features. Players of Angry Birds will also be able to vote for their favorite McDonald’s brand in China, with the location with the most votes receiving a gigantic slingshot attached to its golden arches.

Trident Fresh Motivates Pet Shop Choir for Freshness

19 October 2012: “Pet Shop”, the new campaign for Trident Fresh, created by F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi and produced by Stink São Paulo, goes beyond traditional flavour attributes and proposes a fresh mental renewal to its consumers.

The film shows a young man patiently waiting for his dog’s grooming session to end. Clearly there could not be a more monotonous moment imaginable. However, as he begins to chew a piece of Trident Fresh he observes a totally new reality.

“We wanted to evoke the sensation of a renewed routine. So we transformed a daily situation into something provocative and different.” Says Eduardo Lima, Creative Director of F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi.

Read full press release

Tide Asks NFL Fans to Show Their Colors

Source: facebook.com/Tide

12 October 2012: Procter & Gamble’s Tide is asking NFL fans to wear their favorite team’s colors in its latest effort to reach out to football fans across America. Through the ‘Show Us Your Colors’ campaign, people can visit Tide’s Facebook page and upload photos of themselves to be in to win tickets to the most anticipated football event of the season - the Super Bowl XLVII. In addition, the NFL team that receives the most fan photos at the end of the campaign will be given $15,000 by Tide to donate to the charity of their choice.

Saatchi & Saatchi Launches Magicians for The European Tour

28 September 2012: Saatchi & Saatchi London launches “Magicians”, the next exciting new spot in the globally successful “Every Shot Imaginable” campaign for The European Tour. This time, the ad pairs the unique talents of world-famous golfers against the skill of a well-known magician, DMC.

The four-minute long online film will break on YouTube on Tuesday, featuring golfing legends such as Jose Maria Olazàbal and Paul Lawrie being wowed by the magician’s tricks, which include catching a golf ball that is fired at point blank range by Lawrie, and crushing another ball to dust with his bare hands.

In turn, DMC is stunned by the golfers’ own magic feats - playing bunker shots blindfolded, and hitting perfect drives using the wrong side of the club.

Read full press release

Kellogg’s Opens Tweet Shop

Source: dailymail.co.uk

27 September 2012: In conjunction with the launch of its Special K Cracker Crisps in the UK, Kellogg’s is offering free treats in exchange for tweets that use the hashtag #tweetshop. At Special K’s pop up shop (christened The Tweet Shop) in London, people can drop by and pay for a packet of Cracker Crisps by tweeting one of three tweets prescribed by Kellogg’s, or opt to post one of their own.

“The value of positive endorsements on social-media sites is beyond compare, so we’re excited to be the first company to literally use social currency instead of financial currency to launch this new product in our bespoke Special K shop,” said Sarah Case, brand manager for Special K in an article on brandchannel.com.

Tesco’s Virtual Supermarket

19 September 2012: British retailer, Tesco, in partnership with Keytree, has given shoppers a preview of how they can expect to shop in the future with a virtual supermarket dubbed “Store Trek”. In this virtual store, shoppers will be able to walk down supermarket aisles and place items into their basket - all without leaving the comfort of their home. Once shopping complete, customers can arrange for the items to be delivered.

ASB Teams Up With Spotify to Create Official Olympic Soundtrack

Source: saatchi.com

10 August 2012: ASB bank, New Zealand’s most socially active bank, has partnered with music streaming service Spotify to create a soundtrack to the Olympics.

“As the official and exclusive bank of the NZ Olympic team, with one of the largest active Facebook communities in NZ, we wanted to create something special to show our support for our athletes in London,” says Anna Curzon, GM of Brand Experience and Digital Channels.

“We wanted a fun activity that would capture everyone’s passionate support for our hard working team.”

The Moodulator app, developed by Saatchi & Saatchi, shares regular updates from London 2012 and invites Facebook members to record their reaction to the news using a series of sliders which gauge emotions such as pride, happiness and excitement.

Moodulator then links with Spotify, a music streaming service which suggests a music track that accurately reflects their emotions. Alternative mood tracks can also be searched and selected, and sharing is encouraged with the opportunity to win VIP tickets to Rhythm & Vines music festival as well as Premium Spotify.

Read full press release

Guinness ‘Paint the Town Black’

20 August 2012: Diageo, owner of GUINNESS®, has unveiled a new global advert to launch the iconic beer brand’s annual Arthur’s Day celebrations. The new creative entitled ‘Paint The Town Black’ was previewed exclusively on the GUINNESS Facebook page from 16th August and had its global TV premiere in Ireland on 19th August.

The ad itself is inspired by the spirit of Arthur’s Day, an annual music event since 2009 that celebrates the founder of GUINNESS, Arthur Guinness, a man made of more. In its fourth year, 55 different countries around the world will embrace Arthur’s Day. The events take place on Thursday 27th September and Great Britain will be involved with the celebrations.

Paint The Town Black, provides fans of ‘the black stuff’ with another highly anticipated and cinematic masterpiece. Created by Saatchi & Saatchi and director Daniel Wolfe, GUINNESS’s latest advert sees a sleepy village prepare for an extraordinary celebration, as people come together and begin to paint everything with a black distinctive liquid, before raising a pint to Arthur Guinness. Read the full press release

The Rise of Visual Social Media

Images: forbes.com

28 August 2012: A study by ROI Research recently found that people were more likely to engage with brands that posted pictures on social media, and if the sheer numbers of photos on Instagram (4 billion as of July) and Facebook (300 million photos uploaded every day) are anything to go by, the power of the image is taking center stage.

“Pictures have…become a short form way of communicating lots of information quickly and succinctly,” Detavio Samuals, EVP and Director of Client Services at GlobalHue, said to Fast Company. “The need for publishers to get to the point quicker than ever came about as humans became more pressed for time and content became more infinite. For publishers, it was evolve or risk losing their audience, and the only thing shorter than a tweet or post is a picture.”

The 5 Characteristics of Winning Ads

Image: Pete Seaward/CORBIS

22 August 2012: The challenge for advertising today is twofold - brands need to get the attention of audiences and create messages that resonate with viewers. With an average of 38 television commercials aired every minute on national television across America, creating memorable television ads not only leads to higher rates of recall, but contributes to increased sharing through word-of-mouth, both offline and online.

A recent analysis by research company Nielsen highlighted five characteristics of successful, memorable television ads. To win on screen TVCs need to be humorous, have characters that viewers identify with, use storytelling, create conversation and develop emotional connections. “...Nothing helps consumers feel connected to an ad like a good laugh, tugging at the heart strings or connecting with them on a personal level,” said Joe Stagaman, EVP, Advertising Effectiveness Analytics for Nielsen.

Guinness Launches New Global Ad for 2012 Arthurs Day Celebrations

20 August 2012: Diageo, owner of GUINNESS®, has unveiled a new global advert to launch the iconic beer brand’s annual Arthur’s Day celebrations. The new creative entitled ‘Paint The Town Black’ was previewed exclusively on the GUINNESS Facebook page from 16th August and had its global TV premiere in Ireland on 19th August.

The ad itself is inspired by the spirit of Arthur’s Day, an annual music event since 2009 that celebrates the founder of GUINNESS, Arthur Guinness, a man made of more. In its fourth year, 55 different countries around the world will embrace Arthur’s Day. The events take place on Thursday 27th September and Great Britain will be involved with the celebrations.

Paint The Town Black, provides fans of ‘the black stuff’ with another highly anticipated and cinematic masterpiece. Created by Saatchi & Saatchi and director Daniel Wolfe, GUINNESS’s latest advert sees a sleepy village prepare for an extraordinary celebration, as people come together and begin to paint everything with a black distinctive liquid, before raising a pint to Arthur Guinness.

Read full press release

Toyota GT86 ‘The Real Deal’

17 August 2012: Toyota is launching a multi-million pound advertising campaign for its GT86 sports model. The “Real Deal” campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi London, celebrates Toyota’s return to its sports car heritage and reflects the rave reviews the GT86 has received* for offering an exhilarating, authentic driving experience.

Launching on 17th August with a 60 second TV spot, the “Real Deal” dramatises the story of a CGi man who has become tired of living in a superficial, artificial world. A 90 second edit will be seeded online with prominent automotive and entertainment blogs, and Youtube masthead and pre-roll activity will follow. Cinema spots are planned to coincide with the release of the new James Bond film, Skyfall.

Read full press release

Retailers Connect With Teens Through Text

Source: time.com

03 August 2012: Marketing through text message is becoming a popular way for trendy retailers to engage a younger audience as the usage of smartphones increases. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, one quarter of teens 12 to 17 have a smartphone and predominantly use their mobiles to connect with friends on social networking sites. According to the an article in the Wall Street Journal, youth brands like Charlotte Russe, Claire’s Boutique and Vans have experienced higher rates of response using rich content delivered through mobile phone than more conventional email marketing.

Automotive Retail Goes Mobile

Source: caranddriver.com

30 July 2012: As online retail gains popularity, people are becoming more comfortable with making bigger purchases on the go. Mobile shopping is quickly becoming the norm so much so that British consumers have taken to buying cars via smartphones.

“Despite the economic climate still looking grim, nearly 45,000 vehicles were bought on eBay via a smartphone in the first three months of this year alone. This accounts for almost £70m worth of purchases,” writes Petra Jung, head of mobile shopping for eBay UK, in the Guardian. This trend is not something eBay expects to die out anytime soon and the internet retailer has responded by launching an iPhone app dedicated to the buying and selling of motor vehicles and accessories.

Slipknot Launches First-Ever App Featuring New Faces for Fans

26 July 2012: Slipknot is proud to announce today the launch of the band’s first ever digital app across Mac iOS and Android platforms, simultaneous with the release of their first ever Best Of compilation, Antennas To Hell.

Appropriately entitled “Slipknot: Wear the Mask,” the app is as much about the fans as it is the band.  The point is for fans to learn something about themselves through Slipknot’s unique perspective and lens. “Wear The Mask” has social, gameplay, and photography aspects, but it is not any one of those things exclusively.

...Saatchi & Saatchi NY’s Chief Creative Officer Con Williamson adds: “Slipknot’s Facebook presence alone is over 12 million fans, so we wanted to create a way to give each one of those people an individual experience with the band.  “Wear the Mask” is an engaging, layered and multi-faceted way to do that. Fans will discover an app that’s complicated, disturbing, challenging and fresh, and really true to their core. This will allow them to keep finding new ways to get even more lost in the awesome world of Slipknot.”

Read the full press release

Lenovo Seize the Night Film Your Own Ending Competition

28 June 2012: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY), the world’s #2 PC maker, and Ideas United, the creators of Campus MovieFest (CMF), today announced the launch of the “Seize the Night” Film Your Own Ending Competition. The competition tasks student filmmakers from around the globe to create alternate endings to Lenovo’s acclaimed “Seize the Night” ad supporting the company’s recent Ultrabook “Book of Do” advertising campaign.

“We created the ‘Seize the Night’ spot to set our latest Ultrabook devices apart from others by focusing on how our technology enables people to do amazing things,” said David Roman, chief marketing officer, Lenovo. “Creativity is everywhere, and the Film Your Own Ending competition recognizes the collective talent and ingenuity of the global student filmmaker community that Campus MovieFest has cultivated. We’re prepared to be astounded at what this community brings to life.”

Read the full press release

Lenovo ‘Seize the Night’

8 June 2012: Saatchi & Saatchi New York have created an integrated campaign, anchored by a five minute short-film, “Seize the Night,” to showcase the heralded new Ultrabook laptop that combines the necessary functionality of a traditional computer and a youthful, chic design.

Filmed in Stockholm and shot like an actual movie, the short-film takes viewers on the fast-paced, covert journey of a group of friends, while poignantly emphasizing Ultrabook’s sleek, portable and sophisticated design at every turn.  The friends use the Ultrabook to coordinate the planning of a secret mission that is ultimately revealed to viewers at the end of the film.

Read full press release

Tom Eslinger: Cannes Lions Preview

07 June 2012: Tom Eslinger, Saatchi & Saatchi’s Worldwide Digital Creative Director and President of the inaugural Mobile Lion jury at this year’s Cannes Lions festival, speaks to Contagious magazine about what makes a great mobile campaign and what competition exists between large agencies and smaller digital shops.

Contagious: You’ve recently been working on setting up the first mobile jury with Cannes Lions. What are the challenges of identifying the unique value of mobile when it so often forms part of an integrated campaign?

The big challenge is going to be ‘Why’? With mobile already being blended into so many ideas, I always ask ‘why is it on the device and why did it get made in the first place?’ We need to find high utility, appropriateness for the medium and above all, a killer idea that makes it relevant and rocking. The technology and innovation that make mobile such a fun space to play can also sometimes be a trap. The idea’s gotta rock just as much as the tech.

Read the full article at contagiousmagazine.com

SME Digital Award Success for Badillo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi

21 May 2012: Badillo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Puerto Rico, garnered five awards in five categories (1 Gold, 4 Silver) at the Puerto Rico Sales & Marketing Executives Association’s SME Digital Awards competition held May 16 in San Juan. The agency’s “A Bullet Follows You” digitally led social media campaign for United Way (Fondos Unidos de Puerto Rico), which was the Grand Prix winner at Cúspide, won Gold in the Business Intelligence category and Silver awards in Social Media Integration, Innovation, Digital Integration in a Non Profit Campaign and Digitally Led Integrated Campaign.

Read the full press release.

James Brown - A Music Video Challenge presented by Saatchi & Saatchi

17 May 2012: In an unprecedented collaboration between Saatchi & Saatchi, Genero.tv, BUG Music Videos and Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the music of James Brown will be brought to the attention of a whole new generation through the art of filmmaking.

Saatchi & Saatchi is throwing down the gauntlet to the international filmmaking community by creating a challenge to bring to life some of the most significant tracks of the ‘Godfather of Soul’ in the form of a music video: Sex Machine, Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World, and Try Me.  Following the success of last year’s Moby competition, Saatchi & Saatchi wanted to bring a new twist to this year’s competition by working with a legendary artist who has influenced and crossed many generations.

Read the full press release

Harrods’ Windows Get Dressed With Pinterest

16 May 2012: To celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, UK luxury department store Harrods launched a competition on Pinterest that saw one of their famous window displays decorated in the style of the winning Pinterest board. The retailer encouraging fans to get creative and pin their Jubilee inspired images onto a mood board and then tweet a link of their creations to @HarrodsofLondon using the hashtag #HarrodsWindows. See the selected Pinterest board by Fay Martin.

Google+ Cadbury Equals Chocolate

14 March 2012: To celebrate reaching 500,000 followers on Google+ and to launch its new Dairy Milk Bubbly bar, Cadbury UK recreated its Google+ page in chocolate. Cadbury shared a series of photographs showing the process from start to finish and the company invited followers to watch live as the finishing touches were applied through Google+ Hangout. This chocolate makeover has so far been exclusive to Cadbury’s fans on Google+ and has not been replicated for the brand’s Facebook or Twitter pages.

Coca-Cola ‘Papertweetos’

12 March 2012: Argentineans are madly passionate about football. During the Copa America 2011, Coca-Cola capitalised on this passion by creating a special Twitter hashtag where fans could tweet their support. These tweets were then printed out and launched into the air as players ran onto the field. Over 2,000,000 tweets of encouragement and support were sent to the designated hashtag and the ‘papertweetos’ were a crowd hit.

Nature Valley Brings the Outdoors In

Source: popularmechanics.com

03 March 2012: Nature Valley granola bars are connecting with customers through a project inspired by Google’s Street View. The Nature Valley Trail View is a website featuring 58 hiking trails in some of America’s best known parks including Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. An autoplay function on each trail allows users to replicate “hiking” the trail complete with walking forward and backward and gazing in any direction.

The promotion of Nature Valley granola bars on the site is very minimal as the site is about supporting lifestyles and behaviours that customers care about. There are plans to broaden the site beyond this first phase to include more parks and trails to the tune of $1million.

Tesco’s Delivery Dash

Source: marketingweek.co.ulk

8 March 2012: Tesco has developed an online shopping game on Facebook called Delivery Dash to increase customer engagement with the grocery chain. The game is predominately aimed at female shoppers who compete against the clock to fill grocery orders for friends.

Currently ranked the #1 retail brand in the UK, Tesco is hoping that the game will allow Tesco to have a conversation with customers beyond the usual ‘selling messages’. One of the biggest positives about the game for Tesco is that the game duration is 30 minutes, meaning customers are engaging for a long period of time.

Clicks & Cravings

A new report entitled Clicks & Cravings: The Impact of Social Technology on Food Culture by The Hartman Group and food and nutrition marketing agency Publicis Consultants USA, says that almost 50% of consumers learn about food and cooking via social networking sites and 40% learn about food via websites.

Until recently mothers used to be the ‘go to’ experts on recipes and food but as this report shows people now rely on digital information to inform their decisions. Choosing recipes or food items based on sight transforms the process from being sensory to visual, which opens up a world of opportunities for marketing companies to further develop their digital campaigns.

Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon Tokyo Partners With Digital Jungle In Japan

9 February 2012: Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon Tokyo announced today it would partner with Digital Jungle, a social influence digital marketing agency to provide clients with social media analytics technologies and social marketing services. Digital Jungle already has an existing relationship with Saatchi & Saatchi in China.

Phillip Rubel, Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon Tokyo’s CEO stated, “Penetration of social media is proliferating within all aspects of people’s lives in Japan. Prior to March 2011, social media activity was inherently a local Japanese one. But since last March, we’ve seen a huge spike in people adopting a more internationalized approach, particularly in their usage of Twitter and Facebook. The challenge for marketers is how to participate in the conversations going on, recognize the opportunities and then how to measure the impact of what they do.”

Read full press release at saatchi.com

PepsiCo’s Latest Digital Correspondents

Source: brandchannel.com

09 February 2012: In ongoing effort to support female digital entrepreneurs through its Women’s Inspiration Network (WIN), PepsiCo has selected three remarkable women following their BlogHer2011 search for media-savvy women to offer exclusive ‘insider access’ to a number of its major sponsored events that will consequently lead to a flood of traffic within their respective blogs, businesses and personal brands.

New digital correspondents Tammy Tibbetts, Nicole Feliciano and Angela Chee are not your average bloggers. Proving that women can have it all through juggling motherhood, family obligations and their own successful ‘mom-focused’ online careers, these women not only inspire others through scoping out trends and sharing them with inquisitive moms, but offer inspiring stories to empower women across the world with their ongoing commitments to improving society through the successful use of online and social media.

Aim to Spread the Love

07 February 2012: Continuing on from the success of the Christmas-themed version, Starbucks is launching an app in the US to help spread love across the nation and ‘Celebrate everylove’ in preparation for Valentine’s Day.

First, users are required to download the new app online which allows them to send personalized animated valentines or Starbucks eGift Cards. Then, they need only point their smartphone at the activated limited edition heart-festooned coffee cups to open up an array of digital offerings, and select the recipient to send the offering to. The app can be used for sending messages of endearment or, more practically, buy their loved ones several drinks. Notching up the seasonal love offerings further, Starbucks has encouraged people around the globe to share their thoughts on love via Twitter and Instagram, with the company already posting videos on YouTube featuring personal stories. 

Play ‘The Hunger Games’

Source: screenrant.com

02 February 2012: Suzanne Collins’ book trilogy ‘The Hunger Games’ was a wild success amongst young adults, and with the movie set to be released soon, fans are in for an additional treat with the opportunity to virtually enter the fantasy world in which the books are based.

New York-based company Funtactix has created a free-to-play game that makes money by allowing fans to purchase virtual goods to enhance their in-game play. Timed with a launch on Facebook in tandem with the movie premiere, the game offers fans the chance to explore the post-apocalyptic world and complete missions whilst interacting with characters from the book. Following on the success of other movie-based social games, the immense popularity of the books and ultimate experience of fans could spell out the potential for this game to be the most popular of its genre yet. 

Connected Consumers Aren’t Who You Think They Are

Source: Blogalicious

30 January 2012: The results of a recent report by media mobile and social analytics provider Zmags has defied the stereotypes typically associated with the online shopping habits of the ‘Connected Consumer’.  The data suggests that instead of the savvy 20-something person with a penchant for shopping via mobile apps, a different character and set of habits are at play with the ‘Connected Consumer’ more likely to be a woman in her 40s.  Four percent of survey respondents showed preference to shopping via mobile apps while 87 percent claimed to prefer browser-based shopping on PCs or laptops.

Tablet owners appeared to fully utilize their devices for online shopping, with 87 percent using it for holiday-related shopping in 2011, and 34 percent of tablet owners shopping via Facebook. With consumers showing clear preferences for what types of purchases they make on which devices, marketers can look to tailor their offerings as appropriate to the new demographics.

Trading In For The Real Olympic Experience

Source: psfk.com

25 January 2012: As the official U.S Olympic Committee energy partner, BP America has created a unique shared experience for both fans and hopeful sporting participants for the 2012 Olympic Games through virtual trading cards available in Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine.

We often see athletes competing, but have no real idea how they reached that sporting position. The augmented reality trading cards offer viewers the chance to listen to first hand accounts from nine hopeful U.S Olympic & Paralympic participants in the lead-up to the world’s biggest sporting event.  The virtual experience gives supporters the chance to hear the athletes share their personal experiences of courage, dedication and perseverance that took them to reach sport’s upper echelon by representing Team USA at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

YouTube Takes Film Buff Hopefuls from Fantasy to Reality

23 January 2012: Thanks to YouTube and its sponsor partner Emirates, the next generation of cutting-edge filmmakers could be making their mark on the cinematic world soon. The website is launching the free Your Film Festival to encourage wannabe-directors to enter 15-minute films into the competition, with the top 10 selected finalists kicking off the Venice Film Festival and the Grand Prize Winner receiving a $500,000 grant to produce a new film under Ridley Scott’s television production company Scott Free Productions. 

The competition is not just the opportunity of a lifetime for the lucky winners, but a brilliant demonstration of the significant milestone reached by online video platforms, by integrating cutting-edge technology within the traditional film and video industries.

Those On The Go Give Remotes The Flick

Source: ibitimes.com

17 January 2012: A survey conducted by Accenture across more than 10,000 consumers in 10 countries revealed powerful new statistical information for defining the global preferences of today’s technological consumers.

With less than a third of those surveyed intending to buy televisions in 2012, the movement towards mobile stems from the capability of smartphones to provide constant digital access to a growing portfolio of content, services and apps online. With more than 50 percent of those surveyed owning a smartphone, the research highlights the increasing dependency of mobile users on the extensive number of apps now available, whilst presenting numerous new opportunities for businesses to tap into target audiences.

Associação Cultural Videobrasil ‘Sesc: Escape Button’

13 January 2012: For São Paulo’s 17th International Contemporary Art Festival, F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Brazil, created an online tool for people to escape from their virtual routines, that habit of checking out thousands of times the same websites every day. By logging on to http://www.botaodeescape.com it is possible to install this escape button by dragging the escape icon onto the toolbar of the browser. When clicked, it takes you, randomly, to several different websites, articles, images and videos recommended by the festival’s artists, including special guest Olafur Eliasson.

Toyota Announces Second Annual Shareathon Program

15 December 2011: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. today launched the second annual Shareathon program, where customers can tweet about their plans to buy or a lease a new Toyota during Toyotathon and earn a $500 prepaid debit card. Building on the success of last year’s program, the 2011 Shareathon has announced an additional reward program for those who rally their followers to retweet the original message. Each retweet increases the debit card amount by $50, up to a maximum of $500 from these retweets, for a total of $1,000.

From Dec. 12 through Dec. 21, shoppers who register online at http://www.toyota.com/shareathon, tweet a scripted Shareathon message, and then purchase or lease a new Toyota vehicle on or before Jan. 3, 2012 will be eligible for a certificate and unique coupon code redeemable for a $500 prepaid debit card. Participants will then have 48 hours to encourage their followers to retweet the initial message. As an added bonus, those followers who retweet the message will be entered to win a 2011 Prius from Toyota.

Campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles.

Read the full press release at www.newdesignworld.com

P&G Scavenging for Smartphone Users

13 December 2011: Procter & Gamble is introducing a new line of Downy scent beads and hopes to capture the interest of a young mobile audience by holding a smartphone-based scavenger hunt. On December 3rd, Smartphone users in Las Vegas were able to use their mobile devices to play the Downy Unstopables scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes.

Scvngr is a mobile gaming app that lets users complete challenges from their mobile phones at various locations to earn points which can then be redeemed for real-world rewards. Teams competed to collect the most points, and the winning team got to split $20,000. P&G also hopes to break the Guinness World Record for “Largest Digital Scavenger Hunt”.

The scavenger hunt was promoted using traditional and social media, including local radio, Facebook and Twitter. An online version of the scavenger hunt also took place on the Downy website.

Obermutten Goes Worldwide

9 December 2011: In case you haven’t heard, the tiny Swiss village of Obermutten became a worldwide hit on Facebook earlier in November thanks to a campaign by Jung von Matt/Limmat for the Graubunden department of tourism. When the village launched its Facebook page, the Mayor posted a video promising that anyone who liked Obermutten would have their profile picture printed and posted on the village’s official notice board.

Within several weeks, Obermutten had 5,000 fans, ran out of room on their notice board, and began posting profile pictures on other buildings around the small community. Now they’re almost at 15,000 fans from on every continent in the world, and have appeared in the media in numerous countries. Their fan interaction is better than that of Lady Gaga, Coca-Cola, or Justin Bieber, and over 60 million people have now read, seen, or heard of Obermutten.

JCPenney’s Audio Gift Tags

5 December 2011: As part of JCPenney’s multi-layered “Who’s Your Santa!” advertising campaign, which includes online, mobile and social elements, the American retailer is reinventing traditional gift-giving. Any JCPenney customer who purchases a gift this holiday season will receive a free QR code tag (or ‘Santa Tag’) on which they can record and attach a personal voice message up to 60 seconds long. The recipient of the gift only has to scan the code to hear the holiday greeting.

Technology Leaves Your Hands Free and Gives Control to Your Mind

30 November 2011: Judging the Interactive Mobile category at the 2011 Eurobest Festival, Tom Eslinger commented that the high levels of interaction we currently have with digital technologies come through our physical integration with the objects, but with time and the colossal amount of money being poured into this new realm of technology, there will soon be a time where we will be able to control those ‘hands free’ devices with our minds.

Read full article at Marketing Directo (in Spanish)

Lenovo ‘Do Devil’

21 November 2011: This TVC from Saatchi & Saatchi New York “features the Lenovo Do Devil, a suited hero that uses his Lenovo Tablets to power his unstoppable DO. He reviews a Powerpoint presentation while bungee jumping, edits his resume in a demolition race and hones his gaming skills while riding a tandem dirt bike. And to really see his skills in action, let him sketch a photo of you while mid-air! To see how you can do anything, anywhere like the Do Devil, go to DoDevil.com.” (Source: Hudson/Houston)

Holographic World First from Deutsche Telekom and Saatchi & Saatchi

21 November 2011: Saatchi & Saatchi created a multi-city, multi-media spectacular for the next instalment in Deutsche Telekom’s ‘Life is for sharing’ campaign that unfolded simultaneously across five markets tonight starring the world’s biggest selling female artist of all-time, singer-songwriter Mariah Carey.

Mariah Carey appeared before audiences in Germany, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Poland simultaneously in the form of a hologram interacting with real dancers and live audiences in each location, creating a unique ‘life is for sharing moment’.

Appearing to the audience as if she was live in concert for the first 10 minutes of the show, her hologram form then exploded into the sky, revealing the surprise, before she reformed to lead all the countries in a moving rendition of the traditional carol ‘Silent Night’, then finishing with the all-time favourite ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’.

Read full press release at saatchi.com

Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi Makes Microwave History for BGH

21 November 2011: Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, led creatively by Maxi Itzkoff and Mariano Serkin, have created a new breed of microwave for BGH. Quick Chef Music is the first-ever microwave that plays music when food is ready. The idea is the result of the agency’s belief that ‘Nothing is Impossible’. To modify a microwave to include the element of sounds required intensive product innovation, months of testing, plus patent and legal approvals. The cooking abilities of BGH Quick Chef didn’t change, but six months of testing culminated in a revolutionary invention, unprecedented in the history of the microwave oven:  a microwave equipped with speakers and a USB port, so that each person can upload the song they want.

Read the full press release at saatchi.com

McRib Back Once Again

Source: therealtimereport.com

31 October 2011: McDonald’s is once again running a Promoted Trend ad on Twitter in order to help give their temporary return of the McRib a jumpstart. In 2010 McDonald’s ran a similar Promoted Trend which, according to Rick Wion, social media director for McDonald’s, “drove huge engagement with our customers… we saw tons of occasions where folks who had never eaten a McRib tweeted that they were going to try it for the first time to see what the buzz was all about.”

To accompany the Twitter Promoted Trend, McDonald’s is also launching a Facebook game “The Quest for the Golden McRib” to help boost consumer enthusiasm. The game itself is integrated with Google Maps and players must search through McDonald’s locations around the world in order to find 10 virtual golden McRibs.

L.A. Kings Get Gamified

Source: mashable.com

28 October 2011: As part of a their ongoing efforts to embrace digital technology, the NHL’s L.A. Kings will be adding a gaming component to their fan community through ‘The United Kings Family’ – a social platform that allows visitors to watch videos, share news and earn points whilst doing so.

The points earned by community members will go towards unlocking exclusive rewards such as signed merchandise, behind-the-scenes videos, private arena tours, and even personalized messages from the players.  Digital badges and trophies will be awarded to high scorers on the leader board and members can compete for the title of ‘number one fan’. “All of the things you can’t buy we want to be able to reward them with,” says Jonathan Lowe, the L.A. Kings’ VP of marketing.

Window Shopping the 8ta Way

Source: springwise.com

28 October 2011: Marketers and advertisers are no strangers to using whispering windows to catch the attention of passers-by on the street. These windows are equipped with speakers and are programmed to emit sounds and speech as people walk past motion sensors. A South African store is taking these whispering windows a step further by adding a new level of functionality to enable customers to browse the store’s catalogue throughout the day and night.

8ta, a telecommunications retailer, has partnered with One Digital Media to increase the sensory experience of their stores. The new whispering window technology “turns store windows into glass window speakers, creating a unique way to deliver messages throughout or around your store” (One Digital Media). The company is also utilizing innovative through-glass touch technology which allows customers to browse the store catalogue after hours and request a callback when the store reopens.

Toyota Prius ‘People Person’

21 October 2011: In the latest creative campaign for Prius, Toyota and Saatchi & Saatchi LA introduce a new character: the People Person. A dynamic performance piece, the People Person brings together 18 human bodies through artful choreography, wardrobe and direction (and the occasional special effect) to move and act as a single person going about a typical morning ritual.

The spots combine cool surrealism with a simple mission: to playfully introduce Prius Goes Plural-four Prius hybrid models, including the 3rd generation Prius, Prius v, Prius Plug-in and Prius c concept vehicle-while enhancing the unique place Prius holds in the hearts of consumers. In a nod to the diverse Prius community, the spots acknowledge that universal behaviors connect people, even though their vehicle preferences might vary. The verdant, rolling hills in the scene call to mind the positive impact hybrid vehicles can have on the environment. Read full press release.

Agent of Change

10 October 2011: Tom Eslinger, Digital Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi talks to Figaro about the interface between social and search and explains why marketers need to shift their focus away from specific channels and towards specific sets of behaviour.

“We’re only seeing the very tip of social media’s impact,” says Tom Eslinger, Digital Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, the agency who rolled the royals down the aisle to East 17 for T-Mobile’s massively successful viral campaign earlier this year.

“It’s going to change the tools we use. The way the money’s spent. It’s going to change the way businesses are structured. Our tools and experience have been based on the idea that users are sitting at a PC in a single place. That entire experience will change to become absolutely location based. What’s exciting is this is the first time so many disciplines have been working together at once. Exciting - but for clients a little scary.”

Eslinger is well-placed to judge. He’s been on Saatchi’s worldwide creative board since 2002. A passionate advocate and theorist of innovation in technology and design, he’s picked up multiple Cannes Lion Awards, done several stints as a juror at the festival and still finds time to design his own fonts, some of which have featured in Saatchi campaigns. Marketing’s focus in the 21st century, he says, needs to shift away from specific channels and instead focus on specific sets of user behaviour.

Read full article at figarodigital.co.uk

McDonald’s to Launch McTV

Source: latimes.com

20 October 2011: McDonald’s is launching McDonald’s Channel, a digital network of exclusive original content targeted at dine-in customers. This innovation is being rolled out over the next few months and is targeted to run in over 800 restaurants.

“The intention is to catch and engage the customer, and then enhance their experience,” said Leland Edmondson, founder of ChannelPort, the company that will be spearheading this venture. The target audience is expected to reach between18 and 20 million people a month.

About eight minutes an hour will be devoted to advertising, while McDonald’s ad participation will be only a minute and a half, says Edmondson. “This network is not intended to be all about McDonald’s. It is all about the consumer.” Viewers can expect to see content such as profiles of local high school and college athletes; special stories on local moms juggling home life with careers in sports, and of course regular items such as music, fashion, art, night life, lifestyle and cultural news.

Kodak’s Free Facebook Photo Prints

Source: couponing101.com

18 October 2011: Kodak’s “Free Kodak Prints Week” invites users to print up to 20 free photos from Facebook at any Kodak Picture Kiosk. The photographic company hopes that the promotion will extend awareness of the powerful capability currently available through their photo developing kiosks.

By “Liking” Kodak on Facebook during this Print Week and opting in to receive emails from Kodak in the future, Facebook users will be able to download a coupon to print the 4x6 instant prints. “There are billions of photos stored on Facebook, and the promotion offers a way to convert these photos into personalized memories”, says Larry Trevarthen, vice president of worldwide marketing, retail systems solutions, Eastman Kodak Company. In addition to the free photos, consumers will also be invited to use the kiosk to create Kodak photo books, greeting cards, calendars and other creative projects.

AmEx is Now Friends with ‘Billboard’

Source: gigaom.com

18 October 2011: American Express has announced it is teaming up with Billboard in order to launch a new Facebook channel designed to connect with fans and offer special tickets as well as interactive features. Any content on the AmEx Entertainment channel will also be available through the magazine’s Facebook page.

The channel hopes to attract fans by offering access to exclusive content, such as concert tickets, ahead of the public. Any users who ‘Like’ the page will be able to subscribe to a status feed that will feature real-time updates on upcoming offers as well as music news and content from Billboard. Fans will also be able to participate, submit questions for artists, and vote in online competitions, with the chance to win prizes such as tickets and backstage passes.

IKEA App Customizes Your Bedroom

17 October 2011: IKEA has created an interactive app on YouTube that renders a personalized 3D mockup of a bedroom based on the user’s Facebook data.

The YouTube video begins as an advert within a typical YouTube video, and then the app takes control and the user can login with their Facebook account. The app then generates a personalized bedroom based on the user’s Facebook data and living situation, incorporating clickable IKEA items, and pulling images from their photo albums to populate frames hanging on the walls.

An IKEA survey showed that over 2 million people live their lives at home, and they felt that each person’s bedroom should reflect their personality, taste and lifestyle. In reaction to this, IKEA UK created the personalized 3D bedroom app is part of their ‘Go Happy To Bed’ advertising campaign.

Connecting Experiences with NFC

11 October 2011: The Museum of London, working in tandem with Nokia, is one of the first public organizations to introduce near-field communication (NFC) technology to their venues with the purpose of enhancing the experiences of visiting guests.

Catering to a wide range of smartphone models, visitors to the museum simply need to tap their phone on sensor tags located throughout the exhibits to gain access to a variety of information and functions. Users can receive vouchers for the museum’s shops and cafes, book tickets for future exhibitions, receive more information about exhibits, join the Museum’s Friends scheme, and purchase prints of work on display.The Museum has also integrated social networking such as Facebook and Twitter so that experiences can be shared easily online.

HSN Uses QR Codes on TV

Source: nytimes.com

10 October 2011: In a recent television experiment, viewers watching HSN (Home Shopping Network) were able to scan their television screens using a smartphone, to receive more information about the products on display. Reportedly the first time something like this has been been done, HSN facilitated the interactive experience by featuring QR codes in the bottom corner of screens which would correspond to whichever product was being displayed.

Scanning the code took the shopper to a product page on HSN’s mobile website where they could easily click through to a checkout page. The next step would be to put the product directly into the viewer’s shopping cart, but that all depends on how viewers take to the experiment.

Jill Braff, the network’s executive vice president for digital commerce says, “[Viewers] are watching us on TV and using a mobile device as a faster, more convenient means of checkout. We thought about what if we married the two – what if we allowed people to scan a QR code during a product demonstration, which would bring them directly to that product page on the mobile device?”

Dancing Babies are Back!

7 October 2011: You may remember the dancing babies from Evian’s campaign back in 2009. It involved a short video of a troupe of roller skating infants breakdancing and doing the odd bit of fancy footwork. It’s comfortable to say it caught the attention of viewers around the world, with the video garnering over 47 million views online.

Now Evian is tapping into brand recognition and touch screens with their newest campaign rolling out at interactive bus shelters. The screens present a headless baby on the shirt of a model, which when touched starts to dance and play music. According to passer-bys it’s nigh irresistible to touch the screen and find out what happens, and (luckily) people seem to enjoy it once they do. Feedback from users on the street have been positive, with the 5 active screens receiving over 23,000 activations in just 4 weeks.

Ritz-Carlton Warmly Welcomes Digital

Source: tiptoptens.com

6 October 2011: The Ritz-Carlton is probably best known for its customer service and one-on-one interaction, but the luxury hotel chain is embracing digital in a big way and plans to change the relationship that consumers have with its brand through their new campaign “Let Us Stay with You”. This is the first time digital efforts have accounted for a majority of the hotelier’s marketing budget.

“Digital is a really important place where consumers are exploring their travel options. So being part of that conversation is really important to us,” said Clayton Ruebensaal, VP-marketing. “People are daydreaming from their desks. That’s what we’re trying to take advantage of.” Typically the Ritz-Carlton has a focus on connecting with guests so that they’ll want to come back again and again, but with the “Let Us Stay with You” campaign they are flipping their focus, and running with the concept of the hotel experience staying on with their guests.

“Let Us Stay With You,” will be the company’s most comprehensive campaign to date. In addition to print and digital ads, a film will run on in-room TVs and the hotel’s redesigned website. The campaign will also be integrated into Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare communications, as well as a mobile application.

UCT Executive Education ‘Curious Times’

5 October 2011: Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town has developed an animated short film to introduce Executive Education, a sub-brand of the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) by showing how curiosity grows with new discoveries and in return rewards one.

Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town, Sammy-Jane Thom says that Saatchi & Saatchi’s brief was to create a piece that would be used as a sales aid to introduce potential delegates, who are corporate executives, to the institution’s way of thinking and to be used as a standalone in media that supports long format (more than 60” duration) like the Internet and Cinema.

Off the platform of curiosity, Executive Education seeks to promote agility of thought through the premise that questions change the world, not answers. It is with a curious mind that new worlds open.

Thom says that in keeping with this way of thinking, Saatchi & Saatchi wanted to break the mould on the traditional Audio Visuals. “We didn’t want something expected and familiar to this audience. We wanted to create something that would leave viewers thinking, contemplating and inspired to explore.

“Our AV had to offer an alternative headspace to this audience, so that they would be receptive to the school’s offering. So we decided to go the route of animation, which allowed us to explore the world of metaphor.”

Read full press release.

Turning Test Drives into a Game

4 October 2011: Ford have come up with an innovative way to boost their social media presence by offering rather unconventional test drives of their 2012 Focus model. On the surface, Ford have set up an obstacle course for drivers to demonstrate their handling ability of the new Ford Focus. However, the test cars are equipped with telemetry technology (essentially wireless data transmission) which turns the data from the test drive in to a real-life computer game. Drivers score points depending on how they navigate and handle the course, and sound effects are added in real time to enhance the effect of being in a video game. The experience is captured in personalized drive videos which drivers can then share online.

Laptops No Longer

Source: neattorama.com

03 October 2011: According to data from Boingo Wireless, just over a year ago laptop computers accounted for two thirds of wireless airport connections, but by May 2011 smartphones and tablets collectively held 59% of connections (the champions within this sector being Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices).

Consider that back in June 2007 iPhone connections alone were only at 1%, and compare this to June 2011 where they had risen to an outstanding 42.1%. This is just another indicator of the rise and dominance of mobile internet devices. Boingo’s VP Dawn Callahan noted in a statement that “since the launch of the iPhone in June 2007, we’ve seen a marked growth trend for non-laptop devices, but the exponential growth in iPhones and iPads in the last year pushed mobile devices past laptops, showcasing just how disruptive the trend is.”

Porsche Goes Flying

28 September 2011: Porsche has teamed up with a number of airlines to print 2D QR barcodes on the back of airplane tickets. When first-class and business-class passengers scan these codes they will gain access to promotional information including videos and the opportunity to request test drives at any local Porsche dealer.

While there appears to be a fair amount of debate raging as to just how effective QR codes are as a marketing device and whether consumers will bother to scan, let alone even notice them, the use of QR codes is a trend worth tracking. Luckily for Porsche, statistics show that of those who do use QR codes, most are male (60.5% of code scanning audience) within the age bracket of 18-34 (53.4%) and have a household income of $100k or more (36.1%).

Reinventing Street Advertising

Source: news.com.au

27 September 2011: Outdoor advertising corporation JCDecaux, is set to reinvent street advertising in Australia with the use of new interactive advertising. It will invite consumers to try out smartphone apps on screens in the street, order goods after-hours by tapping a transparent shop window screen, and view stock on an enormous 2.7m-long touch sensitive tablet at shopping centres. This interactive advertising will also open up a new world of viral online marketing campaigns for street advertisers by letting people share product likes and dislikes with friends on social networks, all while sitting at a bus shelter, or walking down the street.

JCDecaux Australia chief executive Steve O’Connor said the coming breed of near field communication (NFC, which allows data exchange between two devices in close proximity) will also be adding a new dimension to interactive advertising by allowing people to simply tap their phone on adverts to download product information or media. For example if NFC tags were embedded in advert displays, users with a tap of their phone, could stream music or adverts, download program content, or enter into a competition.

The 5 Digital Senses

Source: bangkokdailyphotos.blogspotcom

26 September 2011: Fast Company‘s Kaihan Krippendorff shares some advice shared by Bill Rogers, founder of Ektron – a website that is flourishing impressively – on how to listen and influence online.

Krippendorff states that great influencers are great listeners, “deep listeners”. He goes on to say that “listening for context is a fundamental requisite of influence, yet websites mostly ignore it. When you step into a store, the sales person picks up on clues about your dress, how you got there, how rushed you are, to make an educated guess as to how to move you toward a sale. But log on to that same store’s website and they have no clue as to any of these factors.”

Ektron’s mantra if you will, is that online companies should listen with the following five digital senses:

1. Past online behavior: What websites has the customer visited and what purchases have they made?
2. Environment/physical location: Are users reaching you with a mobile phone while standing in line in an airport, or are they sitting leisurely at home in front of a desktop?
3. Traffic source/keywords: What site did they come from, and what keywords did they search for to get to your site?
4. Customer data from inside your ERP system: Have they visited you before and, if so, what do you know about them (e.g., age, address, frequency of visits)?
5. Social networks: Who are they connected with online and what do they share or talk about?

In this day and age it seems that few websites listen to all five of these senses, to actively do so would require tapping into multiple sources of information and “weaving together a holistic picture of your visitor”. But if they did manage this they would have a much higher chance of tapping into that perfect message and connecting with the visitor in such a way as to move them from being simply a visitor to being a loyal customer.

Joyus: Video Shopping

Source: scoop.it

21 September 2011: Joyus, the brainchild of former Google executive, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, is a fresh take on the concept of TV shopping. Essentially heralded as a brand new sales channel – with a twist - the drive behind Joyus is to present the opportunity for digitally savvy, time-poor women to be entertained and shop at the same time.

To accommodate their target audience, Joyus produces simple 1-3 minute videos that highlight a selection of fashion items in an entertaining way (you might spot the odd celebrity here and there) on an easy to use interface that lets viewers buy items they fancy in real time. The company has teamed up with Gina Pell from Splendora, who walks the audience through the collections while models show off the wares. The focus of the website is to become a platform that women can integrate into their busy days, and share videos and items found with friends on social networks.

Toyota Social Snap Shot

20 September 2011: As part of its £7.5m ‘Outsmart Life’ pan-European campaign, Toyota has launched a Facebook-based app for Apple devices, designed specifically to attract a younger demographic – the new generation of car buyers – to it Yaris model.

The Social Snap Shot app adapts to each individual user’s Facebook profile to make viewing the Yaris video a more personalized experience. Once a user downloads the app, they will see their Facebook feed including status updates, pictures, friend’s photos and events alongside the Yaris video. Digital marketing manager Lisa Fielden says the Social Snap Shot app is an important way to engage with younger people. “It captures their Facebook highlights in a quick, easy and entertaining way, and illustrating the Yaris promise to help them outsmart life’s daily challenges.”

Zegna inSTORE

15 September 2011: Italian luxury menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna recently launched a new iPad app which allows shoppers to immerse themselves in a 3D store. Touting it as part of the ‘digital revolution’, the Zegna inSTORE app provides users with a premium, virtual shopping experience which includes Milla Jovovich as a guide. The app is based around a floating store, rendered in 3D with a seamless mix of video interludes from various models, each promoting a particular garment. The user can navigate their way through the store, interacting with content and scrolling through products as they choose.

Bloomingdale’s Poses with NBC

Source: eideias.nu

12 September 2011: A promotional campaign from Bloomingdale’s gives shoppers the opportunity to have their photographs taken with stars from a selection of programs from NBC’s fall season lineup. With the help of the GoldRun V2 app, iPad users can pose with virtual characters from Whitney, Free Agents, Prime Suspect and Up All Night. Bloomingdale’s staff armed with iPads can also take your photo in-store. For participating, shoppers go into a sweepstakes to win gift cards, a set visit in Los Angeles, or a trip to Chicago for a walk-on role in The Playboy Club.