Few more cases in addition to ones I have published last week in my presentation "Reinventing Outdoor in Interactive Age" - cases that either were sacrifised to keep presentation on time or few new interactive cases that are launched very recently.
1.
NIKE-ID generator from Nike Japan, 2009. Although it works indoor, in Nike Store, all the principles are so much relevant to outdoor - great combination of personalization, randomness and game elements with very strong link with Nike ID service.
2.
IBM demonstrates similar but much more simplier idea. Also 2009.
3.
When last summer the great Century 21 New York Times Square interactive / augmented reality billboard emerged (see my Slideshare presentation, slied 87-89), for the beginning there was discussion about it's similarity to the following social ad - interactive outdoor in Netherlands with similar approach. Still everybody quite soon agreed that it could be quite impossible to copy the latter - it was only few months difference between both while time to produce either of them would take at least 3-4 months at minimum.
4.
One more interactive social outdoor campaign:
5.
"Occasionally perfect outdoor" by Heineken that got very popular for few weeks all across advertising and digital sources this Autumn.
Finally and in the Christmas mood - a very fresh, interactive Christmas tree in the very center of Singapoure with it's operational center in Facebook by Heineken.
Outdoor advertising is changing. For almost two centuries it was in static, one-directional ("poster based") mode, decade after decade evolving in quality and experience delivered. Now, with exponentially growing variety and availability of digital and social technologies and changes in customer attitude towards participation outdoor based campaigns should move towards being dynamic rather than static, exploiting variety of interactive opportunities, involving customers, personalizing the messages or experience, and helping to tell rich stories in order to create value - tangible or intangible - to customers and and society.
Supporting slides and videos from my yesterday's one hour (keynote) presentation in Clear Challenge outdoor competition in Riga. This is extended version with some 7-9 additional case videos and few additional slides. The material will be developed further and most probably will be a part of new set of presentations/thinking about communication and strategic planning in digital/interactive age.
For now - 100 slides, including 17 case videos of iconic outdoor-based communication cases from last five years. Feel free to comment, ask questions, download and share.
When the week of Cannes started collegaues form BBDO Group Russia asked us to share TOP5 of our favorite campaigns of 2010/2011. There is my very subjective choices (actually 6, not 5) with a short comment on each.
I saw the commercial very early morning after Superbowl in States has just finished and it stroke me immediately. I think it is by far the best TVC in 2010/11 from great script and superior execution to the much broader role - it speaks not only about Chrysler, or about economicall highly troubled Great Lake region, but also touches the very important issues for the country, society and culture. Although it has got three Golden Lions in Cannes this week, I have expected at least one Grand Prix.
Two quite a different but similarly engaging real-time real-life games with very important role of digital platfroms and social networks. Both perfect in execution form trailers that attract participants and digital ecosystems to supporting everyday activities in social networks and through mobile applications with engaging data visualizations.
But most importantly again shows us that great digital campaigns are not about digital - opportunities and platforms provided by digital technologies to individuals, interest groups and societies are at best use when there is some bigger idea or challenge to be made in real life.
When one month ago I showed this case as one of key examples in a presentation of how video world is changing and video itself is becoming just a part of multi-platform, transmedia storytelling I have got a remark form the audience - “Hey, but this is not advertising and it is barely video”.
That’s exactly why I love it. The full use of then brand new html5 standard with all the time changing screens, integration of animations and hearth breaking dynamic integreation of Google Maps street view from the place that is very important to you - it all was wrapped into great, personalized story and told in way that neither was possible before nor it on other browsers at that moment. Check it out with Google Chrome browser yourself.
Supersimple idea with new use of old-good-outdoor. Just build it on ice in the middle of lake next to busy highway. Winter proposal for VW Pasat 4Motion - special price - is valid as long as the outdoor is visible. And as Spring approaches and ice melts, you can check out is the discount still available on web or just by taking a look when passing by.
The campaign is more than one year old but still it among my favourites. Very warm, very human and focused on creating real value to people. And again - not only having the TV script but doing real thing for real people. Going to the small town behind the Arctic circle and making thery morning and their day brighter. Even if for one day.
By the way I have changed this blogs headline after seing this ad and in particular - after listening to the song "The Great Escape" used in the film. I believe that “It’s not what you say that matters, it’s what you do” will be one of dominating principles in commercial communication for years and decades. And it is The Great Escape from the ways we were doing our communication and thinking about campaigns for more than half-a-century.
Sometimes its all very easy. Sometimes you even do not need big and well-thought through strategies. Sometimes it is enough to have simple, great story and the execution made perfect to the smallest details. The story and execution plan leaving enough space left for improvisation. Or improvisation with some clue about what story could emerge there and where could it lead.
But besides of that you have to have ultimate confidence in the idea from the authors and even more than that - the intelligence and courage of client to see the emerging path and to move on with it. The courage to play this game in quite an unknown territory.
Whaterver the case, great result American Apparel, great result.
"Cynics might say the concept is a little too easy, but in our opinion it’s just perfect; on strategy (Bavaria = a beer without bullshit), well written, and well executed." Amsterdam Ad Blog, May 31, 2011
Hmm. Interesting. I would discuss it a bit. But worth to follow because it is a part of major rebranding in Western Europe, including brand new bottle (label) design. Lets see where it leads and what will be around besides of classical TVC with all it's limitations.
It's one of most postiive and most sunny campaings I have seen lately. And probably very effective one. Because yesterday after seeing ad and then finding out and wathching video I wanted orange juice. Tropicana. One with a lot of pulp that was natural energy during my studies in Boston.
If you look only on photography it looks like just another great, creative outdoor ad. But if you dig a bit beyond the surface (Google Search, one request) you could find video. And then there is even more of sun and more of energy.
But after all this great combination of outdoor and video (and who knows, probably a bit broader campaing) is one more example on how important in the "packaging" of every case not only for submitting to festivals but also to build the story, to encourage the storytelling and to rise the viral potential of the campaign.
Outdoor can't tell whole story. But it can be part of broader storytelling system or in few cases it can be the center of the story both driving the attention and reminding the whole story after customer discovers it. Like in three out of four Cannes Lion Grand Prix winners in last four years:
Cannes Outdoor Lion winners HBO "Voyer" by BBDO NY in 2007,
What 2011 will bring us in digital and interacive fields? How technology development will change communication, marketing and business? What will be next big shifts?
Out of many presentations and papers on trends and predictions about coming year I have came accross in last few months there are three that I want to share. A bunch of similar conclusions, still from several view-points.
1) For the beginning the presentation from agency Space150. If you would ask me to pick one presenations about 2010/2011 this would be the one.
2) Account Planners of JWT Worldwide came up with 100 trends for 2011. Most of them infulenced by developments in digital technologies and interactive opporutnities:
3) Finally 11 trends from most successful PR network of last few years Edelman. One more proof that the borders between the disciplines of communication (advertising, PR, events, mass-media) are dissapearing. At the end of the day it's all about creative communication.
The case that won Grand Prix in US Effies 2010. Although the idea is simple, "easy-to-spread" and with great social value I still don't get why particularly this campaign won - there were so many great ones among winners. Anybody?
Great example for creating interactive experience, great example of using store windows, great example of involving customers by making it fan, great example of creating buzz potential by making it public.
All leaders are marketers at heart, striving to influence behaviour and win hearts and minds. In this session we look beyond the gloss at the nuts and bolts of great communication, to understand what works (and what doesn't) and how this is changing in today's media-literate world. What can business leaders learn from these masters of persuasion - in terms of getting noticed, communicating ideas, and sparking creativity?
YouTube annotation
Very valuable discussion no how communication and persuasion (including commercial and political communication and persuasion) is changing in the age of technological revolution. Or in the "Age of Monumental Change" quoting Sir John Hegarty(Worldwide Creative Director, Bartle Bogle Hegarty)in the very beginning of the discussion.
Quite an extensive web-video interview with new (!!!) Chief Creative Insurgent of MDC Group (holding company that owns also CP+B) and one of all time best Creative Directors Alex Bogusky in almost one hours:
On moving (up) to MDC
On work as a play and play as a play
On the future of capitalism
On translating "traditional ideas" to new platforms
On mechanics behind of one his best campaigns
On how do they pick ideas and imperative of quantity of ideas;
On what he would do with $1bn (for the campaign, of course); - how he would approach it?
World Cup is almost there. Like few hours of SuperBowl in US these undoubtely will also be four weeks of celebrating great ads.
Carlsberg comes out one of first (next to Nike Rooney teaser last week) with an epic Team Talk for Team England full of iconic references.
Linked to it there is also short "Making of" video:
One more interesting aspect of building campaign ecosystem - besides of official Twitter account and Official Fan Page on FaceBook, the official webpage of "EnglandTeamTalk.com" is build on (is redirecting to) the platform of YouTube. Seems to be more good example of smart use of existing social platforms.
After getting several awards at Webby Awards 2010 Wieden+Kennedy and theirs Nike Chalkbot campaign just has got the main prize, called "The Best Show", also at "One Show Interactive".
Innovative, positive, meaningful, encouraging everybody to join. And both using (building) their own digital ecosystem and smartly ecouraging the coverage in unpaid mass media to help the message spread.
Monday was quite an intense and exhaustive but still great second day in Art Directors Club Russia (ADC*R) campus "Evolution at A to @" devoted to communication in digital platforms - with two presentations and Webby Awards Case discussion with everybody followed by intensive work-session with "Instinct Group"As you can guess it was "Strategy Day". Presentations are attached. First one rather is a compilation (summary) from few of my previous presentations and slides are just a suppor a broader story - to understand whats going on we first were step more than few steps back to look on what prerevious four media revolutions brought to the societies and economy, what are main fundamental changes brought by "digital revolution" and why it requires fundamentally different approach in many aspects.
Second presentation is beta version of a bit broader and deeper set of materials in the development on the role of Strategic Planning (Account) planning in the age of total decentralization of media, abundance of information and emerging dominance of digital platforms. "Account Planning in Digital Age", to make it short.
We took a short trip from the historal to current role of Account Planning, main competences in and comppetences of Account Planner (Strategic Planner) work to qualities than in my mind makes great (not just good) Account Planner, what makes great "Advertising Man".
In the third part we have taken a look on and discussed almost a dozen of cases for this year Webby Awards shortlist. The winners will be announced tomorrow, but all shortlisted cases of 2010 already are available in Webby Awards site.
An blog entry on my choices in Webby Awards Peoples Voice vote will follow in approximately week followed and following more than few questions on good Account Planning books and sources I probably will make also entry on that. Feel free to subcribe to get notice to your e-mail.
Heineken continues it's Fridge and walk-in Fridge series by bringing it to new level and taking serious fun of all the "Talent" Show. I am more than sure that it will not end there.
1. Nike Grid - urban challenge for street runners in London.
"London is your gameboard. You have 24 hours to claim your streets. 40 postcodes across London. North. South. East. West. Grid phone boxes in each postcode. Run between them. Score points. Run more. Score more. Badges awarded for speed, endurance and stamina. Play for your postcode. Get the glory. Claim the crown"
(by NikeGrid on YouTube)
Quite a self-explanatory video in combination with great mini-site and strong link to Facebook community. Easy to register thanks to Facebook Connect. Great aesthetics.
But over that all - one more great example of combination of what digital technologies can do (and why they are attractive to young people) with some activites in real, physical live. The proof of "It is what you do that matters, not what you say!" once again.
2. Nike Music Shoes (Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo)
Released around a week ago it got quite an attention from advertising and digital community. Because of cultural differences with Japan it is too early to judge how successful it could be. But it is attractive and fun anyway.
Starbucks and BBDO NY. Again. Literally few days ago (15/04/2010). The next step in great series of simple, emotional acitivies that encourages (incites) people (ones that care!) to do something, to show their attitude rather than just shouting out some kind of "constructed" brand message in mass media.
Going for impact rather than reach. Because actions speaks louder than words. And creating stories. Because stories are spreading. Rather than just words.
The campaign that surprised me most last week is UNIQLO UTweet - positive, simple and colorful. In the same time as smart in using digital technologies in very human way as it has been with most of UNIQLO campaings last few years.
Don't look for something hyper stategic or serious there. Digitally most awarded brand in 2008 and 2009 offers you entertaining show that last few minutes and is cusomized up to your choices of keywords. It also plays around with elements of randomness acualized by growing popularlity of latest digital fad -Chatroulette.com in their target group.
The only thing I haven't found answer yet - is the campaign in any way linked to opportunities to T-shirts of advertised UT series. That would be great link to real life.
Anyway, UNIQLO UTweet is the first "Discovery of the Week" or "Campaign of the Week" from my blog. To be continued.