Opticana - 100 false url's

A nice campaign from Israel, the '100 false url's' campaign by optician Opticana plays on the user making mistakes while surfing the net, and capitalises on targeting them while they are quite possibly most likely to act upon the message. As the campaign title suggests 100 mistyped url's have been created such as NSN, instead of MSN, producing a microsite for the false url entered, with a message suggesting to the user that perhaps it's time to get new glasses (shown below).


Pic - '100 false url's' http://www.nsn.co.il (instead of MSN)

A simple but very tongue in cheek way of reaching the target audience, which is hopefully received in the way intended.

Wispa Gold Outdoor messages Campaign

To celebrate the return of the Wispa Gold, Cadbury has launched a new campaign dedicating £2m of media space to all those who adore the chocolate bar (and as we have seen from previous campaigns there are quite a few of them). As a further 'Thank You' to all of their supporters there will be a chance for fans messages to be featured on one of over 1,000 poster sites across the UK, with a website set up for people to note their message. The website is www.wispagoldmessages.com for all of those interested and the closing date is 3rd October.



It is also worth mentioning that to launch the campaign Rolf Harris has designed his very own billboard (on 15th September), submitted by one of the earlier winners, at Old Street roundabout on (shown below).



A great idea i think, and a very nice continuation of their ongoing use of the viral admiration of the brand. Once again I really like the way that it's impactful without being too in-your-face, and really gives the fans and supporters of the brand a chance to get involved. I think this is most evident by the amount of use people have already got out of the site, and the way in which the idea has been received!

Did You Know 4.0 - Latest Video for Autumn 2009

Okay, I know these 'Shift Happens' videos get updated every few months, but here is the latest of the Did You Know videos, 'Did You Know 4.0' updated for Autumn 2009. The video as always is massively positive if you work online, and not so positive if you happen to work in the offline media world. The video, developed in partnership with The Economist, includes a very rounded collection of facts and statistics of the changing media landscape, including convergence and technology. Even if they are mainly from the US, it's still worth having a look at.



Video - Did You Know 4.0

The PUMA Index - iPhone App: Stocks and shares with sex appeal

Making the best of a bad situation is not always the easiest thing to do, however in this instance PUMA have got it spot on. Their new iPhone app 'The PUMA Index' allows users to not only check how their stocks are doing, but has the added benefit that if the stocks are going down so will a rather attractive girls pants!



Pic - The PUMA Index - iPhone App


Not you're type, well there's a selection of women and men to choose from, with a video of a sleeping beauty once the stocks are closed for the day. Definitely worth checking out as it's free, and slightly more interesting than the one provided as default to the iPhone. There's also a site to support the activity (for all those non-iPhone users), and a video explaining how it all works (shown below).



Video - The PUMA Index


Enjoy!

MINI: 'Two Untamed' Teaser Videos (Mirror. Same. Shine)

MINI have released a series of teaser videos prior to the Frankfurt Motor Show this year, to generate some added mystery and buzz around the unveiling of the “twins”, which blogs are already calling the Coupe Concept and Speedster. The virals show the 'untamed twins' in a series of unusual settings, with the messaging 'New from MINI. 2 B THRILLED. 2 B DESIRED. 2 B CONTINUED'. The three videos were released one after the other (shown below), named Mirror, Same, and Shine.



Video 1 - MINI. Two Untamed. Mirror.



Video 2 - MINI. Two Untamed. Same.



Video 3 - MINI. Two Untamed. Shine.

Guitar Hero 5: Playboy Playmates' "Risky Business" Ad

It truly is battle of the bands this month with Guitar Hero 5 competing with the long awaited 'The Beatles Rock Band'. In order to stand up and really separate the men from the boys, Guitar Hero have launched their new campaign playing on their previous successes spoofing that well known scene from "Risky Business". This ad (shown below) aired on Televisions both in the US and here in the UK sees the Playboy Playmates rocking out in full force in front of a very lucky Hugh Hefner.



Video 1 - Guitar Hero 5: Playboy Playmates' "Risky Business" Ad


There is also a 'Making of' video which is always worth watching if you enjoy the ad, which shows us just exactly what went on in the mansion that day.



Video 2 - Guitar Hero 5: Behind the Scenes of Playboy Playmates' "Risky Business"

"We Are ODST" Halo 3: ODST Live Action Trailer

For anyone with an XBOX out there, you must have been hiding underneath a rock somewhere if you have managed to avoid any news of the upcoming title Halo 3: ODST, the follow up game to the smash Halo 3. This is the live action trailer released earlier this week to promote the game, which shows movie type footage of the perils of the UNSC's Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST).



Video 1 - "We Are ODST" Halo 3: ODST Live Action Trailer


It may also be of interest for any fans of the series that Neill Blomkamp (Director of District 9 and original director of the Halo movie) originally released some short films as a taster of what a Halo movie might look, definitely worth checking out.



Video 2 - Halo 3: Short Film


Enjoy!

Top 10 Augmented Reality Advertising Campaigns… so far - PART 2

When I posted my previous Top 10 (Top 10 Augmented Reality Adveritising Campaigns… so far) there were almost immediately a host of new examples, and that trend has certainly showed no signs of slowing. There has however started to emerge a new trend which is far more beneficial to the end user, and that is that more and more brands are conjuring up useful ways to integrate augmented reality within their campaigns, with mobile playing a very big part in this. It has also occurred to me while collecting these examples, that while AR still remains quite gimmicky, it can be much more than that (as is hopefully shown in the below examples).


10. Financial Times
Okay, although this might not be the most creative use of AR, but to be showcased on the front cover of the FT, and be followed up with a full page article looking at how the twin challenges of digital media and the recession are forcing advertising agencies to rethink the way they do business, I think it just goes to show how far AR has come this year alone. Although the technology may have been around for a few years now, the fact that it is gathering this much momentum is quite exciting (and so worthy of a place in the top 10).





9. IBM
There have been many examples of events offering programs within mobile applications to help people get around, however I think this may be one of the most innovative created by IBM for this year’s Wimbledon. It involved an app for T-Mobile's G1 which provided information via AR for users to view stats related to the matches, as well as see what’s on sale in the stores and receive real-time Twitter feeds.





8. Paramount - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
To celebrate Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen due released in the UK in June, the ‘We Are Autobots’ Augmented Reality campaign was launched giving the user the opportunity to play the role of Optimus Prime, as well as find hidden messages from Bumblebee which giving users the chance to see exclusive Decepticon footage from the new film via AR. A great way of generating a bit of extra buzz around this much anticipated movie release.





7. Doritos-late-night
This example by Doritos offered consumers the opportunity to select one of two bands (Blink182 or Big Boi) to play a concert for them on the back of the packet. Again one of the more gimmicky example on this list I’m afraid, but still a nice continuation of the previous Doritos example from my previous post, allowing users a chance to grow familiar with the technology.





6. Mattel – Avatar Toys
Announced by Mattel at this year’s Comic Con to follow the much anticipated Avatar movie, a series of toys will be released, each incorporating augmented reality, marking it the first time AR will appear in a retail toy. The i-Tag technology created by Total Immersion will allow consumers to bring their toy to life, and battle others giving a new dimension to their experience.





5. Wrigley’s - 5 Gum
This example for the launch of Wrigley's 5 chewing gum in France, allowed users to mix together their own music using a number of AR symbols. Three symbols representing the different flavours linked to a certain track, with the distance from the main marker determining the volume and effects for each track. This was not only a very innovative user of AR, but I think encompassed the messaging and attributes of the brand.





4. Yelp / Lastminute.com
Once again I have had to tie to similar examples together. Both are, for me, two very good examples of AR on mobile providing a very useful function, but are available free and fully available apps in the Apple App Store.

Yelp
Review site Yelp offers an application that shows users where to go from restaurants to bars and so on. The excellent thing about this app however, is that the AR feature is actually hidden in the app, and only accessible if you shake three times (the phone not you). By doing this you unlock the Monocle feature which overlays the reviews onto the image shown via your camera on your 3Gs iPhone.





Lastminute.com
Something of an ‘under the radar app’ the NRU (pronounced near you) offers a similar experience to the Yelp application, using the features of the phone to not only direct users to the nearest bars and restaurants, but as you would expect gives Lastminute.com full reviews if you tap any of the available options in your area.





3. Glasses Direct
This is a very useful and helpful use of AR, which allows users to visualise the product before purchasing, more importantly it allows them to do this without needing to leave the comfort of your own home.





2. United States Postal Service - Priority Mail
This is another great example of useful ar, giving users the ability to check the size of their packages before sending, saving the user time, but also giving the customer a pleasant experience which they will in turn
associate with the brand.





1. KIA Soul
The “Go Hamster Go!” game released a couple of weeks ago marked the first use of augmented reality in a social media environment. Now I know that it was an Auto brand that topped my last top 10, with the BMW Z4 example, but I'm afraid Kia soul will have to top this one for me. Not only is this really enjoyable use of AR, but it is also in my view a fantastic example of how augmented reality is being integrated within the media environment.






Related Posts:

Top 10 Augmented Reality Adveritising Campaigns… so far
RubberDuckZilla: Augmented Reality Game
BMW Z4 “An Expression of Joy” - Augmented Reality