A few thoughts, musings, ramblings and other things from MediaCom people...

Hyundai: Times Square Billboard Racing Game

Automobile brand Hyundai created on one of New York’s Times Square billboards the largest phone controlled racing game. Users just have to register and download on the“Hyundai Race” app as well as connect to the Hyundai WiFi network in Times Square to connect their phone with the game. They then get a turn to control the car on the giant digital billboard using their iPhone. After the race, gamers’ scores appear on the billboard so they can see how they performed against all other racers.The gamers leave with the Hyundai app downloaded on their iPhone which is good for ongoing content and communications.

The game is also an engaging experience for the driver and grabs the attention of the Times Square crowds. These interactive billboard displays let users control activity which reinforce the message by allowing users to interact easily with the brand. It draws on the trend of gamification but taking it out of the virtual world and into real time. There was a missed opportunity in this experience as it isn’t enabled to share through social networks.

Link to the video: http://youtu.be/awd-vORN7dQ

 

Wimpy: Braille Messages on Burgers

To promote its recently launched menus in Braille, Wimpy’s fast food chain in South Africa created 15 unique burgers that could be identified by visually impaired people before they could taste it. The creative idea had a Braille message on the bun that was spelled out using individually placed sesame seeds. Each message was a description of the burger the consumer was about to enjoy. These very special burgers were delivered to the three biggest blind institutions in the country. The campaign video shows the delighted reaction of the visually impaired people who got to try the burgers.

It can be extremely difficult to adequately convey a specific marketing message to disabled or impaired people. The tone and the channels themselves can present a difficult challenge for brands. Wimpy found a great way to tactfully present their new menu card for the visually impaired. The burgers motivated them to speak out and write about the campaign. The message reached over 800,000 sight-impaired people and successfully conveyed the message that “Wimpy is a place where everyone can feel at home.”

Link to the video: http://youtu.be/5YAchE0-o-o

 

PayPal – Subway Shopping in Singapore

Online payment service company PayPal is trialling a new mobile shopping initiative that allows customers to point and purchase using QR codes. PayPal has created catalogue ‘mobile shopping walls’ in 15 metro stations in Singapore. The large display features Valentine’s Day offers from eight participating retailers. The user will need to first download the PayPal QR code reader app, which scans the barcodes and allow the user to log into PayPal to purchase the items. These QR codes have been particularly popular in Singapore due to the rapid growth of smartphone ownership and free accessible Wi-Fi across the city.

The interesting point with PayPal’s QR code Subway Shopping is that most other financial and mobile companies are developing mobile offers using NFC technology. PayPal argued that the trial was more convenient than NFC as “no additional infrastructure is required for merchants, retailers and consumers.”  When looking at the user journey for this campaign, it is true that it has the potential to engage most consumers and does not rely on consequent technological efforts. This activation is very similar to Tesco’s South Korean window shopping which won a Gold Lion in Cannes last year. There have been a number of developments in the mobile payment industry and it isn’t as simple as following the bandwagon and using NFC.

 

Net-A-Porter: The Window Shop

Net-a-porter launched KARL, a new line by Karl Lagerfeld on their website. To celebrate this much-anticipated diffusion line and exclusive four-week partnership, 5 pop-up Window Shops went live in New York, Paris, Berlin, London and Sydney. Simply put, it’s a window you can shop from via the Net-A-Porter KARL app. Unlike a traditional window, the storefront features photos and not physical products. Shoppers with an iPhone or iPad 2 can download the KARL app from the iTunes store. The app is stocked with a few games and equipped with SKAN, a technology that allows users to scan photos of products they like (no need for barcodes or QR codes). Once the technology reads the product, consumers are given the option to “shop now” and are directed to the Net-a-porter site.

Net-A-Porter is looking to bridge the gap between online and in-store retail with a digital shopping experience that bridges window displays with a mobile app. It is sometimes difficult for consumers to develop a relationship with a retailer brand that has no physical presence. This activation created an opportunity for Net-A-Porter’s usual consumers to window shop for the first time. The brand was also able to share the excitement brought by this collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld (who even made an appearance!). Since the award winning Tesco campaign in South Korea, we are seeing more and more of these real world/online world activations. A trend that is not about to disappear with the increasing use of smartphones to shop.

Link to the film documenting the premiere of this idea in September 2011 at Fashion’s Night Out in London and New York: http://youtu.be/dTk_9pmqspE

 

Intentional Discriminatory Advertising brought to you by Plan UK

Plan UK is a charity based in London that educates young females in developing countries in order to help them move away from a life of poverty into a life of opportunity.  They wanted to run a campaign that would show the world what it feels like to be a second-class citizen and to be denied rights because of gender.  In order to do this, they ran an outdoor campaign that was only accessible to women and would let men feel what it was like to be denied opportunities.  The outdoor activation is being trialed in a busy area on Oxford street in London for two weeks.  It uses facial recognition and a high definition camera in order to determine if a passerby is female or male.  It is claimed to be 90% accurate in determining sex and has been described as “a giant iPad crossed with an Xbox Kinect.”  Female consumers can watch a 40 second ad and interact with the content to learn more, where men are denied all access.  

I think we're just on the brink of seeing facial recognition technology change the advertsiing landscape.  Rather than a fight for attention in a crowded space, advertisers are opting in for ‘intelligent’ advertising.  This is truly the most advanced, one of a kind installation using facial recognition technology, touch screens so users can interact with the content, a high definition camera and a 3D depth sensor.  What’s nice to see is that this advertiser is using all this technology not simply for innovation sake, but in order to deliver their key message in a clever way.  They communicate the global problem of female discrimination by having male consumers experience the discrimination first hand – love it!

Ange. 

 

Jeep: Geo-localised Mobile Game

Summary:

Car manufacturer Jeep wanted to engage with a younger, tech savvy audience in Poland and have them experience the brand first hand.  They created a mobile game that turned Poland into a giant treasure map.  Jeep scattered real outdoor treasure in the wilderness that was plotted on maps using GPS.  Players participated in a massive treasure hunt, chasing down treasure spanning across lakes, mountains and forests.  Once treasure was located, they had to “Jeep-In” in order to collect the points from the treasure they found. By the end of the game the player who had the most points won a Jeep Grand Cherokee.  The game had great results - check out the case study video.

Why is it interesting:

This is a great example where an advertiser had identified their target audience and have created a communication touch point that speaks directly to their interests of gaming and technology.  It is simple, entertaining and not only communicates Jeep’s core message, but engages their audience by having the consumer experience the character of the brand first hand.  An execution like this works great as a stand alone communication point, but is even more effective as an activation to run alongside a larger marketing campaign.  It can bring the ATL campaign communications to life and generate word of mouth for the entire marketing initiative. 

 

Angela.

 

Comms Innovation Update: Air China Facebook Check - Ins

Summary:
The task for Air China was to communicate to the Swedish market that Air China didn’t only offer flights to China, but to all over Asia. They wanted to tap into the residents of Stockholm and communicate to them while they were experiencing Asian culture. They selected Asian restaurants around the city as brand ambassadors, picking a range of restaurants to represent the airline’s various destinations such as Japanese, Chinese and Thai. At the restaurants, guests were encouraged to ‘check-in’ to Air China right then and there – but on Facebook. Everyone who checked in was featured on the Air China Facebook page and each week whoever had the most votes won 2 tickets to an Asian destination. This generated a lot of interest and enthusiasm from entrants and encouraged them to spread the word. The competition lasted several weeks and results in a reach of over 1.2 million people and increased their Facebook likes by over 3,000%.

Why is it interesting:
This is a great social campaign where the execution is innovative, simple and relevant to the product offering. Based around a competition, the idea is fresh using the Facebook function of the ‘check-in’ both as an entry mechanism into the comp and as a communication vehicle for the brand. Also a clever use of play on words, the ‘check-in’ is a great way to use brand ambassadors. The restaurants who communicated the message experienced a win-win situation of increased customers during the comp.