For some reason, today being a leap day makes me think of the future. Probably because there won’t be another leap day for four years… or something like that. I can only imagine how technology and media will evolve. Interestingly, I came across this video today showcasing the prototype for Sony PlayStation3’s Camera with headtracking capability. Pretty cool, if not just a bit scary. The majority of head-tracking devices either require some apparatus to be worn, or else lack the definition that the PS3 camera seems to possess.

While certainly a fun and interesting advancement for video games, could there be other implications to such advanced yet simple head-tracking technology? Billboards with eyes that really do follow you? Some new form of direct communication? Interesting to think about. And to view the video with sound, check out the link below.

[via MTV multiplayer blog]

Right on the front page. And in an obituary no less. The title of the obit “William F. Buckley Jr., 82, Dies; Sesquipedalian Spark of Right” is (for those of you not in the U.S. and/or old enough to remember him) a play on the fact that Buckley was fond of using words like “sesquipedalian” in his speeches and his columns. He definitely kept Webster’s in business.

I mean I don’t know about you, but I had no idea what ”sesquipedalian” meant - my basic knowledge of Latin got me to “150 footed” (sesqui=150 + pedalian = feet or footed) which clearly was wrong.Dictionary.com to the rescue: Sesquipedalian means “given to using long words” and is derived from some term meaning “words of a foot and a half long” (so I was on the right track. Sort of.)

Regardless, it’s nice to see the Times loosen up a little bit and employ some intellectual humor when appropriate. It’s a lesson many corporate and B2B advertisers should heed, because as an old mentor of mine once said: “Just because people are reading about work, doesn’t mean they want to be bored.” 

And besides, we all just learned a new insult today. 

After rising to the highest-rated global Coca Cola spot of all time, spawning a mocumentary and a movie, I wasn’t sure what else could come for the Happiness Factory campaign. (and here’s a link to the original spot, just in case). Now the Happiness Factory is hiring, with an elaborate, detailed, and pretty dang fun website. It’s currently site of the month at FWA. Impressive to say the least - and interesting to watch the evolution from an animated spot.

These days, simplicity is far from the norm, both in advertising and in life. A new product or campaign launch often contains an advergame or two, viral easter eggs, shot codes, fake viralesque videos, blogs, and on and on and on. We live in a world where multitasking is the norm and our brains are expected to do the filtering. That’s why it’s such a surprise when an ad is simple and makes a quick point without any hidden messages/games/web interaction/etc.
The print ad above, from RKCR Y&R in London for the Land Rover Defender is so simplistically perfect, it hurts. It’s not the greatest art direction ever and the copy isn’t earth-shattering, but it communicates a message well and quickly, without tumultuous effort. It can be done. And is worth remembering every now and then.

Jokk Juice is made from berries from far far away. This Swedish ad from Saatchi & Saatchi highlights how hard it is to get the berries that go into Jokk Juice. But what’s really hard is finding information on Jokk Juice on Google. If you type “Jokk Juice” in your search bar you will be shown links to the ad in blogs and advertising registries. Most people have good things to say about the advert, but what if you wanted to know more about what’s in it and you don’t live in Sweden? When you type “Jokk” in Swedish Google your results will be a little better if you can read Swede. Saatchi did a good job of creating an ad, but did not plan for the viral effects that are so common today. There’s a disconnect between broadcast and digital that can be solved by planning digital scenarios. If the ad is being seen and appreciated around the world, perhaps a multinational splash page could be created to provide basic information. Even if the product is only sold in Sweden, people outside the market are becoming familiar with the ad but not the brand. A simple page and some search engine tweaks could save millions in the long run if there are plans to expand internationally. But then again I don’t know much about the brand or its plans for world domination.

The Super Bowl has come and gone. There were some good ads and there were some stupid ones (like the Planters nut perfume ad… creeeepy). Being in the industry, I find that we can be harsh critics, note example above. When ad (brand) people get together to watch ads the gloves come off. Good ads have to pass the scrutiny of insiders who share a love for the craft. That last statement is mostly true for award shows. In reality ad people are a cynical bunch who can find something wrong with perfection because we know it is an oxymoron in this line of work. We don’t hate everything, just most things that suck. It’s difficult to gauge what ad people like and what they are going to piss on. One moment they could be laughing enjoying themselves, the next moment they take turns jabbing someone else’s baby(creative work). If you’ve ever wanted to see elusive ad people in their native environment, here’s your chance. The footage you are about to see gives you a rare glimpse into what happens when ad kids attack.

Cookie cutter houses and neighborhoods are as common as cookie cutter Realtors in pant suits. They have mean handshakes and aren’t afraid to use them. A single sale can produce generous margins, enough to stock up on bland business cards that feature stock image houses and  executive photos of themselves. Some agents are bold. They’ll even create magnetic calendar versions of their cards just in case we forget what month it is when we’re reaching for a midnight snack. Why not create a huge billboard identical to your business card? Because when I decide to buy a house, nothing says “buy” like a yearbook photo and a phone number. I have nothing against these peddlers of the American dream who provide a much needed service. I do have something against business as usual. The housing market is where it is because of lender over-speculation and loan baiting. Real estate agents aren’t bad people, just bad marketers in the advertising award show sense. Now that people are buying less square feet if any at all, real estate agents have to work harder for their cut. Those in the know will work smarter. There is some hope for the industry. I found a real estate ad that appeared to have a concept and even appealed to a specific target. I found the ad in RVA magazine, a local Richmond artsy community publication. They have designers who create ads that fit the magazine’s image. In this competitive landscape (wink wink) agents around the country can benefit from a little creative risk, at least until the market gets better. In an unrelated note, Richmond area home values are on the rise.

For most people in North America, memories of Renault consist of temperamental cars like LeCar and the AMC/Renault co-branded Alliance (both examples of model naming at it’s best). But Renault is alive and well in the rest of the world, competing bumper to bumper with the other industry leaders. They consistently produce some impressive advertising, and this newest spot for The Megane Sport by Publicis London is no different.

A simply beautiful concept. An exquisite “Everything is Sport” tagline that speaks volumes. Quite possibly one of my favorite automotive tags/concepts of late. It positions the Megane Sport perfectly and actually begins to define and mold the target as well. And the direction and production, paired with Vivaldi, produces something memorable. Not just as a cool spot, but as a spot for the Megane Sport, which is another impressive feat in and of itself. Now I just need to figure out how to get a Megane Sport over to this side of the Atlantic.

Great time waster, courtesy of the Swedish telecom giant Tele2 is something called BeatBox that lets you record your own beat box tune with a basset hound DJ.

This is the sort of fun, not-available-elsewhere-in-a-superior-format toy that brands should strive for online. It’s a quick little hit, has enough of a connection with a telecom company to be relevant, and is very well-done: you don’t have to speak Swedish to get it. Perhaps one of our European readers could fill us in on whether the basset hound figures in their advertising at all.

I love buying a round of virtual drinks for my friends. What better way to show them I care without having to deal with all the drunken aftermath (I did what?! I made out with who?!). But as I pass out the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters and Tiki Revenges to my new BFFs, I often find myself asking “How are these people/companies making money off this?” Well, when it comes to more conventional ad forms, it turns out they’re not. With click-through rates around .04%, advertisers have been less than excited about the returns. As it turns out, people really are there to interact with each other. Who knew?! Applications, though, are another story. At first blush the numbers are impressive: 874,742,856 installs across 17,263 applications on Facebook with these applications being used 34,175,797 times in the last 24 hours generating numbers like $300 per active user. But then you come across articles like this where the value of a Facebook application user is valuated at somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.40. Hmmmm That’s a big discrepancy. Digging a little deeper we discover that the bulk of application usage is spread out over a handful of applications — only around 87 according to this article. Doh! Looks like Facebook isn’t a quick path to riches and that advertisers will actually have to put effort into developing messaging, applications, etc. that have true value for their audience. Bartender? Can you make that next Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster a double?

Technorati Tags: review, advertising, online, beyond madison avenue

This spot (by Saatchi, Moscow) introducing Russia to Gmail is certainly an orchestration of simplicity and visual presentation, impressive in it’s own right. I’m more interested, however, in the fact that the stop-motion bare bones style was used. Especially for something as digital as Gmail. Does it make it more human to have people entering the search terms and starring your messages? Does it become more personal and more accessible? I’d like to think there is a specific and logical reason behind it, and not just someone wanting to do some cool stop motion construction. Either way, it’s an impressive execution that’s fun to watch.

While the Toyota Corolla Superbowl ad received a fair bit of praise, I wasn’t entirely satisfied. Fortunately, I stumbled upon the new microsite for the car, dubbed “Corolla the X,” complete with an impressively elaborate crest. The site is a fairly bold yet unobtrusive mix of animation, audio, video, and games, managing to do a fairly impressive job at showcasing the features of the Corolla with some humor and without the usual buy-this-car spiel. The site even makes me appreciate the superbowl spot slightly more. My only big question (and maybe slight hesitation) is whether or not “Corolla the X” can really work. The Toyota Corolla has never been in the upper echelon of the automotive world. Can its image reflect it effectively? Will it be able to persuade buyers? Then again, it IS the Corolla… not exactly an unknown in the field.

Matt Dickman, author of the most excellent Techno//Marketer blog referred me to one of the coolest links I’ve found in a while. It’s called “Google Hot Trends” and it’s an hourly update of the most Googled terms. Fascinating because you can find out all sorts of things, from who’s being traded before the NBA trade deadline, who’s having Jason Kidd’s baby, and which congressman is being indicted. It’s one of the ways that search, and the analysis thereof, is changing the way we approach advertising and marketing. Because rather than rely on the specious output of Nielson families or million dollar focus groups, we get uncensored, unbiased accounts of what people are doing when they are not conscious of being monitored or watched. The possibilities are endless for this sort of research, but in the meantime, it’s a fun way to keep abreast of the news and to see how many of terms you recognize before you click on them.Well at least for a nerd like me, it is. 

And by soft I mean good. Check out the latest work for MS Office:Mac 2008. Kudos to McCann for producing this smart, clean and well executed site. It’s refreshing to see Microsoft embrace white space and a light-hearted approach. Smart writing and a quirky illustration style breathe life into a familiar product that doesn’t need to be over-sold. Supported by an equally clever ad campaing (check out the ads here) this site rewards exploration and discovery, speaking well to the Mac audience. Thanks for talking to me and not down to me.

Technorati Tags: review, advertising, online, beyond madison avenue

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) recently released their Media Predictions: Technology, Media & Telecommunications trends 2008, downloadable via PDF here.

While there’s nothing hit-you-over-the-head shocking, it provides a very interesting (and fairly comprehensive) overview of the changes effecting technology and media today. There are certainly some advertising and communication-specific trends. Definitely worth a read if you’ve got the time - if nothing else than to just get the mind thinking about everything in a broader sense.

And for those with less time to read the full study, Rainer Präsoll gives us a nice summary of the 10 emerging trends outlined in the study.

[via Raw Stylus]

‘Look at Me!’ speedsters in the UK are pretty much doing the Po-Po’s job for them by filming their high speed antics and whacking ‘em up on YouTube.
It does seem to be direct from the ’so dumb it’s funny’ book but it’s actually happening and I can imagine the boys in blue are loving it, they get to surf the web all day and fill their monthly quota of speeding tickets. Now that’s the only way to live.
And a great use of UGC.

Microsoft recently published some interesting survey results regarding teens and their comprehension of intellectual property. The general summary is that teens aren’t very familiar with intellectual property rights, with 49% of those surveyed saying they were “not familiar with the rules and guidelines for downloading images, literature, music, movies and software from the Internet.” In short, kids don’t know much about the rules governing intellectual property and don’t think of downloading as stealing.

So of course, Microsoft has a solution to the problem: MYBYTES.com. It’s an interesting yet somewhat chaotic site that contains a “music mixer” that is actually fairly fun to play with, “on the street interviews” with teens which show they know nothing about intellectual property, and “viewpoints” where artists and professionals share their thoughts. An interesting idea for a site, but it doesn’t really teach all that much, and fails to really tell teens what they should be learning. Not to mention the lack of discussion about fair use, Creative Commons, and other licensings. Certainly interesting to see the issues tackled in website form, targeted at teens. Whether or not it makes any impact in the long run is a whole ‘nother story.

The New York Times Michelle Slatalla wrote about her family’s experiences with Twitter last week, further fueling the argument about whether microblogging services have any real value to consumers. (Slatalla’s very wired teenage daughter had zero interest in the service, which they saw as basically replicated the group email or text message.)

But the most damning part of Slatalla’s article was this quote from Walter J. Carl, an assistant professor of communications studies at Northeastern University

The people who I see using it are an older demographic, people in marketing or P.R. or advertising, who use it for work, to present themselves as particular types of people. They’ll twitter, ‘I’m traveling,’ or ‘I’m going to interesting restaurants.’ They’re using it to do identity work.

Now there is one use of Twitter I’ve seen that I find interesting, but it’s not exactly what Biz Stone (could that really be his actual name?) and the other founders intended: during high-interest, minute-by-minute events (the Democratic primaries, the NBA All-Star weekend Slam-Dunk Challenge) certain reporters were Twittering their updates every few minutes of so. For die-hard fans, it seemed like a win-win situation.

Anyone out there using Twitter religiously? Is Professor Carl on target or is it a valuable communications tool waiting to be discovered?

Social marketing has an interesting, often overlooked, and somewhat confusing place in the advertising world. Using talent and skills to promote actual social change is no easy task, and it’s good to see agencies and events promoting positive social messaging every now and again. Good 50×70 is back in it’s second year, promoting “awareness amongst the creative community of the power they have to be a force for good.” Good 50×70, while much more at it’s core, is essentially a poster design contest:

There are 7 briefs from 7 charities on 7 issues that affect thousands of people around the world. All you have to do is pick a topic that inspires you and submit a poster on that theme. 210 posters (30 from each brief) will be selected by our jury of leading designers and exhibited around the world and published in a catalogue,but more importantly they’ll be presented to the charities for their use as a potential campaign.

This year has a broad and impressive list of charities involved and a hefty list of endorsers, including AGI, icograda and BEDA.

Cool stuff. Photos from last year’s event are on the Good50×70 flickr page. Good 50×70 is open for entries starting today, February 18, 2008, and entries are accepted through April 20th, 2008. And as it should be, entry is 100% free.
[via osocio :: photo via flickr]

Beefcake and cheesecake abound in the latest online effort for PETA. The Sexiest Vegetarian contest invites users to vote for their favorite meat-free hunk of meat and watch as they advance through the grueling ranks to be named Sexiest Vegetarian of 2008. Fun idea, good looking site that’s well-executed, but one oversight that leaves me stumped — there’s no incentive to participate. In order to cast your vote you have to submit your name and email address. I don’t like to hand that info out to just anybody for free, even if it’s in support of a good cause. Such an easy fix would have been to enter all people who vote into a simple drawing. For a very small cost they could have substantially increased response and grown their list. A trip to the PETA site reveals another missed opportunity — no mention of the promotion anywhere. A search on the site finally points you to an entry on the PETA blog and to a different PETA site, Goveg.com. But even here you have to dig to find any mention of it. Too bad. This is an entertaining idea they could have gotten a lot more mileage out of if executed properly. Who are the meat-heads who missed these opportunities?

Technorati Tags: review, advertising, online, beyond madison avenue