by Eric Goldstein

www.olivestudio.com

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.