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by Brian Carroll
I came across this image in an email sent to me. I thought it was fun.
Archive for April, 2009
Just For Fun
Thursday, April 30th, 2009In the Know
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009by Eric Goldstein
The secret is knowing HOW to incorporate the latest technologies for your online/interactive presence. As a Creative Director, it’s important to understand what is happening with the latest FLASH capabilities and creative scripting, but to also know how to integrate these tools with those of the needs of our particular clients. Some clients say “Now, we don’t want any of that flash or long-loading pages”, and others, have no choice but to be ahead of their game and to embrace the technology and understand the experience their customers are expecting (and shhh…to exceed those expectations is where we come in.)
This site was introduced to me by one of my students, demonstrates some really exciting scripting techniques and illustrates these formulas through some compelling sample executions.
Hot Work: General Electric Smart Grid Hologram
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009by Eric Goldstein
When you think innovative, interactive, creative and environmentally conscious, do you think of GENERAL ELECTRIC? You should. Now.
Check out the link to learn more about their Smart Grid Marketing Initiative. It is to promote their emphasis on education, assortments of products and services but more importantly…that THEY ARE IN THE GAME.
Talk about an extension of their brand reaching new and old (audiences), there is a whole new demographic who has now experienced their Smart Grid “Augmented Reality”.
What you do is visit their website, and once you navigate through the site a little, you come to a “PRINT THIS” prompt. When you print this white letter sized sheet of paper with a very simple black logo/graphic on it, you are asked to click on either WIND TUNNEL or SOLAR ENERGY link.
Once you click on either of these two (or both), you are then connected (you must have a camera connected to your PC/Laptop – then it happens. You see yourself like the beginning of a video connection with a friend, then you simply hold up the piece of paper with the graphic and the magic happens. It comes to life. From the graphic, folding out comes the Golden Gate Bridge, in 3D projecting from your piece of paper – then when you turn your sheet of paper, in the same perspective the 3D montage follows, totally staying connected your sheet of paper. Initially, you just don’t understand, how does this work? Then you just accept it.
Then, if you are a strategic/branding/creative firm, you start to conjure all the applications, (once this technology becomes a little more polished) to present to your clients (if appropriate) which could incorporate this technology.
In summary, it was an adventurous departure from the corporate collateral and mundane marketing material expected from a huge conglomerate like GE, and they have earned stripes with multiple generations in the environmental market – becoming a quick “IN”, when these demographics begin to “consider” these products and services.
Brilliant.
Consider This. Really
Saturday, April 25th, 2009
by Eric Goldstein
We’ve talked about Branding and that it’s much more than just your logo, or color palette, business cards or website, but the totality of all the touch points your brand has contact with your customers (and those whom are not yet customers).
What does it take to get into the CONSIDERATION SET? (The group of alternatives that a consumer evaluates in making a decision)
Often times, this is the part our clients and partners often have a harder time realizing. What makes your products/services attractive and what makes them desirable in the first place or what is it about your competitors products/services which make YOURS more desirable?
A Quick Story.
This morning, I was preparing a cup of tea. I looked for the obligatory red colored box English Breakfast Twinings package usually found on the tea shelf. Only this morning it wasn’t there, but there was the box of CHOICE ORGANIC (brand), Irish Breakfast Tea (product). Being 6:15am and not being totally tactile-efficient, my hands struggled to open the cellophane protective packaging around the box. The cellophane was heated so much to the box that nothing I used to pry open the plastic would work and it caused great frustration for something which usually provides me great joy in the morning.
What does this mean from a Brand Experience?
Simply this. CHOICE ORGANIC TEA’S – will NOT make their way into my CONSIDERATION SET, next time I am at the grocery store. (IT’S THAT EASY) I would rather give up the ORGANIC, and go with what brings me comfort, fits in with my already established behavior (think..BRAND LOYALTY) and continue to use Twinings (brand) teas (products).
What does this mean for CHOICE ORGANIC TEAS?
Well, I am just one person, but because I have a voice, and a vehicle to air my voice (Twitter, Blogs, Face Book, Word of Mouth), others may be influenced by my experience, or that of their own, whether it’s the same or different – How a package opens, taking into consideration the TOTAL experience of how their products are used, should be a huge part of their brand planning/R&D/Packaging.
In this case, it could be as simple as spending a little more for a simple, colored unraveling strip (think WRIGLEYS/DENTYNE GUM – which everyone is familiar with). Other brands have had to step up and do some reputation management or reformulate their packaging associated with “Wrap Rage”<<Check out more examples here
On Your Mark…..Get Set…….Cut and Paste!
Monday, April 20th, 2009by Eric Goldstein
Are you a designer? Have you heard of Cut & Paste?
Perhaps through Cool Hunting, or Current TV, or maybe even through your local Graphic Arts Organization – this is the new trend in fusing entertainment and design.
DESIGN COMPETITIONS. Short rounds of creative, flash mob mentality, you enter, you compete and it’s happening ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
If you are one of those designers who often find yourself with a “Creative Block”? – THIS IS NOT FOR YOU. Enjoy!
Virtual Reality..Retouched
Sunday, April 19th, 2009by Eric Goldstein
I thought this would be a great example of a brand touch point – which truly embodies a brands perspective and core values. A simple concept executed within a matter of 1:15 mins, yet has a reach of at least 20 million. Not bad eh?
What it says is this: “We understand women, we understand the distorted evolution of beauty as personified through the formulaic process of exxagerated features, weight, symmetry and assymetry, unnaturally placid complexions all from the man behind the curtain called industry.
Dove – in just over a minute, gives the world their voice, provides entertainment and created a viral experience which now puts Dove into the consideration set of women all over the world.
To further their efforts, Dove has done a wonderful job in promoting this campaign and striving to provide empowering/self-esteem programs for women:
<<<click here to learn more about these programs
YouTube Symphony Orchestra
Thursday, April 16th, 2009by Christian Bayley
So this week marked the culmination of an amazing example of online and offline worlds coming together. Several months ago an ambitious project was put together by the folks at YouTube (full disclosure they are a client). The idea was to use the power of social media to create a virtual orchestra that anyone in the world could audition for and that viewers themselves could pick the members of. Including from instruments not typically associated with an orchestra. Thousands of submissions and 15 million votes later the orchestra was picked, and this week they were flown to Carnegie Hall for the first performance of a piece they had all been rehearsing individually. Really inspiring.
Here is the initial call for entries.
And here is the actual first act posted today on the channel set up to cover this first of a kind event:
YOUTUBE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHANNEL PAGE
The channel also has all the backstory about the composer, organizers, etc.