Newcomer sharing site Dribbble is a little like your mom’s refrigerator – you post up pieces of artwork for visitors to see. It’s a unique addition to the already-crowded list of social networking sites because it provides a place where artists can receive feedback on projects they’re completing. Posts must be 120,000 pixels or less, so visitors are provided with just a small snapshot. Dribble’s kept a tight-knit, invite-only community to keep the quality of the work high, but anyone is welcome to come check out the goods!
Kristina Loring of Frog Design caught up with Director of the Havas Media Lab, Umair Haque, for this episode of design mind ON AIR to discuss the positive impact brought upon socially responsible corporations. They discuss how a younger generation makes it a prerequisite of the businesses they patronize. As this generation gains more purchasing power, it’s a fair argument that the more socially responsible companies will see larger profits. The demand for green, fair trade, and transparent corporations is only growing. Haque argues that they will need to focus on these types of innovations to truly succeed in the future.
PSFK just released their Future of Retail report and it’s a great overview of how some progressive brands are redefining the way people shop. It’s all about customizing the shopper experience: Show them what they want in an engaging way, let them help shape the brand, and give them the option of making a purchase whenever or wherever they want. Very interesting read.
Operating in the cloud seems to be the inevitable next step for the gaming industry, and a new start up venture from Gaikai brings the ability for instant online play through streaming. All that’s needed to use the service is an online connection, a web browser, and the latest version of Adobe Flash. These games act much in the same way that streaming videos do, except they’re interactive. It’s a way to “try before you buy” and interact with other gamers online. Games can be embedded on web pages in the same fashion as banners and users can play without ever leaving their current page. The ease and speed of Gaikai is sure to hold great potential for game promotion.
A new study released by mobile media audience company JiWire delivers some welcome news for mobile marketers. The report found that the majority of surveyed smartphone users welcome relevant, location-based advertising, and would rather download a free ad-supported app than buy the same app without the ad. The researchers also found that a little more than half of those they interviewed are already interacting with ads, and almost a fifth claim to have made purchases directly from an ad-based app.
McDonald’s will be the first brand to team up with Facebook for their new location based posting feature. Expected to launch later this month, the new offering will give users the ability to attach their physical whereabouts to their status updates. The application being built for McDonald’s could provide a great platform for product placement and word of mouth advertising. This could be a huge win for brands across the board. Giving 400 million Facebook users the ability to tell friends not only that they like a certain store, but also name products purchased and the location where others can do the same is simply great marketing. Up-and-coming sites like Foursquare and Gowalla already offer similar services, but with only about one million users each, many wonder whether they can coexist with Facebook or if this initiative will render them useless.
Fans of the highly addictive lecture site TED will find this announcement a welcome one. The Technology, Entertainment, and Design talks will soon be available on their TV, as well as online. The TED Open TV Project worked with a number of broadcasters to launch the effort this month to people around the world, beginning with parts of Europe, The United States, East Africa, and Pakistan. Content must be aired commercial-free but local hosts can bookend the program with introductions or commentary. Read the announcement for more details.
And check out this fascinating lecture from Nicholas Christakis on the “hidden influence of social networks.”
Anyone lamenting the loss of craftsmen in our society will appreciate this short documentary on the disappearance of the hand painted mural. Up There is a twelve-minute film that talks to the artists still finding work in painting large-scale advertisements. What I found interesting about this is just how much more people regard the ads as art when they’re painted. Is this reason enough to keep a process that’s longer and more expensive? When is it ok to progress? And is there room for both methods?
Here are two very different looks at Chinese consumerism. The first is a collection of beautiful photographs taken by Huang Qingjun and Ma Hongjie. They show Chinese families outside of their homes, surrounded by their possessions. The work is strangely calming and nonjudgmental, which is surprising considering the fact that we mostly do get assessed by what we choose to wear and buy.
The second look is a study on China’s luxury consumers by Tom Doctoroff of JWT. He argues that these people use possessions not only to show accomplishment, but intent. The ambitious want to alert others of their resolve to live at the top, and they’re ready to do it in part, through shopping. It shows status and achievement.
As the publishing and music industry take major financial hits thanks to the content availability on the Internet, TV has surprisingly declared few losses thus far. This isn’t from a lack of options, either. Large networks and independent ventures offer free shows for online viewing 24 hours a day. Why, then, hasn’t everybody dropped their cable and hooked up their sets to the computer? This piece from the Economist argues laziness. It’s just easier to push the remote than to seek it out online. They claim the average American watched 37 hours of TV a week in the last quarter of 2009. Sounds like great news for advertisers re-championing what was thought to be an endangered medium. Is it time to celebrate, or continue prepping for the inevitable switch to online viewings as more options present themselves to the mainstream?
This is going to be a project to keep your eye on. The New York Times photojournalism blog, Lens, asked their readers from around the world to submit a local picture taken on Sunday, May 2, at 15:00 (U.T.C./G.M.T.). Thousands have submitted from all over the globe, and entries will continue coming in until Friday May 7, the cutoff date. You can see a sampling here. The gallery with the other several thousand will be up this week.
To be specific, the agency looking for talented Account Executives with 2+ years of experience at a global agency. If interested, please send your resumes to Matt Wormington at matthew.wormington@leoburnett.com.
Another winning effort from Leo Burnett Toronto for James Ready Beer!
Keeping in line with the brand’s tradition of doing everything it can to help people afford more beer, this year they’ve mashed-up two traditional media – coupons and billboards – in a completely fresh, inventive way.
By partnering with local retailers, James Ready created a program that allowed people to take a picture of its billboard, show the picture to the corresponding retailer and receive savings on selected products and services. Of course, extra cash means more money for beer!
As a little Friday treat, we wanted to revisit some of our favorite Rhett & Link videos. The comedic North Carolina duo creates hilarious music videos and commercials for small business that have been seen by millions on their YouTube channel. The self-described “Internetainers” have branched out and completed a full-length film, hosted their own television show, and won awards for collaborative work with big brands. Their Great American Road Trip saw the boys eat their way across the country with the help of Alka Seltzer’s antacid powers. The effort won accolades from AdAge, Adweek, The Bessies, and the Advertising & Design Club of Canada Awards. Here are some of our favorite bits:
If you haven’t already seen it, here’s a brilliantly told whirlwind tale about how a convergence of technologies in recent years has made the once unimaginable suddenly imaginable. A must-watch. From self-professed “geek comedian” Tom Scott and presented as part of Global Ignite Week.
Gold stars for our Japan and Singapore offices! They just took home a combined 12 awards from the Asia Interactive Awards. Leo Burnett Singapore was responsible for campaigns from HP and P&G. Our Japan office, Beacon Communications K.K., produced the Nike and Vidal Sassoon work.
Vidal Sassoon 360 SNAP used fifty cameras to circle fashion and music fans looking to make a glamorous memory. The resulting 3-D shots taken of the individuals and groups could be found and shared online or through their mobile devices.
- Bronze (Best Breakthrough Ad)
Hewlett-Packard’s “Power to Change” campaign asked computers users to simply turn off their machines at the end of each day. Widgets and social media applications helped to remind them of the effort.
- Silver (Best Social Media Campaign)
- Bronze (Best Breakthrough Site)
- Bronze (Computers/Copiers/Printers)
- Bronze (Charity/Social Causes)
- Bronze (Best Online Campaign)
Proctor & Gamble SK-II
- Silver (Most Creative use of Mobile Medium)
Proctor & Gamble’s “Whisper” campaign helped young girls discuss their monthly cycles without shame thanks to a campaign presence in online communities and out of home events.
- Bronze (Cosmetics/Toiletries)
NIKEiD Generator gave shoppers a chance to pose for an in-store camera that captured colors from their wardrobe and used them to design a custom pair of shoes.
- Gold (Best Breakthrough Site)
- Gold (Best Breakthrough Ad)
NIKEiD REALCITY took their colorful idea to the web and encouraged visitors to pick a unique palette to decorate their virtual city and design real life shoes.
- Gold (Site Elements/Animation)
- Silver (Website/Fashion, Apparel)
Southampton airport in the UK was one of the many shut down from the ash of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano. Nearby residents experienced a strange side effect from the closing… blue skies. The lack of the usual plane vapor trails gave towns across Europe a surprising perk of decreased travel. It seems that they’re not the only ones imagining the benefits. Here are a couple thoughtful pieces championing a slower pace of travel from PSFK and BBC.
Ice House Detroit is a project created by photographer Gregory Holm and architect Matthew Radune that brought attention to the city’s housing and foreclosure crisis. Holm and Radune froze an abandoned house in a mass of ice to represent the problem symbolically. The installation received quite a bit of recognition, helping raise money for the citizens most affected by the fallout. Following the closure of the exhibit, the house will be deconstructed and its eligible materials recycled. You can see the process from beginning to end at their blog.
Here’s a moving new film for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) from Leo Burnett Sydney. ”Space Monkey” tells the story of an original space monkey who returns to Earth after being lost in space for decades. The film features a new music track by musician Ben Lee called “Song for the Divine Mother of the Universe.”
The film is airing as both a music video to launch the single as well as a long format cinema spot. Check out more over at www.themonkeyreturns.com.
Credits:
Agency – Leo Burnett Sydney
ECDs – Andy DiLallo / Jay Benjamin
Copywriter – Michael Canning
Art Director – Kieran Antill
Executive Producer – Adrian Shapiro
Account Manager – Paul Everson/Jodi McLeod
Production Company: Revolver
Executive Producer – Michael Ritchie
Producer – Georgina Wilson
Director – Steve Rogers
DOP – Mandy Walker
Editor – The Butchery – Jack Hutchings
Music – Ben Lee “Song for The Divine Mother Universe”
Sound Design – Paul Taylor – Sound Reservoir
Post Production – Animal Logic
Other Credits:
Production Designer – Steven Jones-Evans
Costume Designer – Margot Wilson
Prosthetics – Odd Studios
Set Construction – Studio Kite
Fantastic new work from Leo Burnett Chicago for McDonald’s. I’ll just let this one speak for itself.
Credits:
Mark Tutssel, Global Chief Creative Officer
John Montgomery, Executive Creative Director
Reed Collins, SVP Creative Director
Bob Winter, SVP Creative Director
Denis Giroux, Executive Producer
Bob Raidt, Executive Vice President, Account Director
Stephanie Solley, Account Supervisor
It’s 2010. Weren’t we supposed to have flying cars, robot maids and food in capsule form by now? “The Jetsons” forecast this nearly fifty years ago, but some scientists predicted it much earlier. The Paleo-Future blog is a delicious little look into the past predictions of the future. Founder Matt Novak posts articles and drawings from those that envisioned advances in technology, sports and human behavior. It’s entertaining as a retrospective on history and a reminder to take current prognostications with a healthy dose of prudence.
Congratulations to FROGBOX, the winner of the inaugural LEOS award! This startup company was selected from more than 80 small businesses to receive $250,000 in pro bono creative services from Leo Burnett. The initiative is a collaboration between Leo Burnett and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization that was started to assist companies grow big ideas into big business.
FROGBOX provides eco-friendly plastic moving boxes that can be used in an excess of 400 times for low environmental impact moves. They hope to eliminate the need for disposable cardboard boxes, as well as provide an easy way for households to procure moving supplies. Currently, the company operates out of Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto.
Responsible packaging has been trending big for a while now. AT&T announced new requirements for their mobile phone suppliers, Sony’s new Vaio case is made with recycled CDs, and Ubisoft’s doing away with paper manuals for their Xbox and Playstation games. Puma’s new effort, however is taking a stylish approach to green packaging. The shoe box has been replaced with a reusable bag, and a cardboard insert. The eco-friendly credentials on this are truly impressive. This design eliminates 65% of the previous cardboard used as well as the need for a plastic shopping bag. The bag itself is made from recycled PET, which can be recycled in the future as well. The list goes on. Puma teamed up with The Fuse Project for this outstanding work. Head over to their site to learn more about it.
“Press Pause Play” is a documentary in-progress that promises to be a study on the nature of the current creative landscape. The film bills itself as addressing “the change in production, distribution and consumption of creative works.” It’s a discussion worth hearing because it’s one our industry’s already having.
Allstate’s Berwood.net gives football fans a place to show support for their team, drum up a little friendly rivalry among friends, and find affordable insurance for their tailgating truck all at the same time. Visitors to the site find a virtual stadium parking lot in full party mode with all sorts of team supporting activities. They can trash talk buddies through Facebook and email pranks, or even meet up for a face-to-face showdown by finding real live tailgating parties in their area. Thanks to the money they saved by switching to Allstate while there, they should have a little extra cash for the party.
Whisper Sanitary products were loud and proud about their effort to get girls talking openly about their monthly cycles. They accomplished this with a large online presence on blogs, social media networks and a dedicated website. They then took to the streets for live events where girls wrote happy pledges about the normally taboo subject. The effort garnered almost one million dollars in earned media coverage.
Color! Nike has it covered on their products and in their marketing efforts. NikeID, the brand’s unique customization feature was played up with an in-store camera feature that matched shoes to participants’ wardrobes. They could then buy the shoe or redesign their own. They took the idea further still with a beautifully designed site that encouraged users to pick their shoe colors, then step out and paint the virtual town in the same. These efforts earned Nike two nominations.
MathMovesU is all about making math fun and relevant for middle school aged students in hopes that they will choose a math-related career. Part of that fun lives at The Sum of All Thrills, an site where students answer math questions to build a virtual roller coaster that they get to “ride” when they’re finished… and the more difficult the questions are, the more thrilling the ride will be.
Norton Anti Security software scored two nominations for their work on the Every Click Matters effort. The website and an online ad are both in contention. The campaign is a good reminder on how easily criminals can access personal information through the internet. Their dedicated site teaches the dangers of simple online activity through irreverent films and some shocking facts. It also provides basic steps to prevent falling victim to cybercrime. The nominated film features 80’s heavy metal band Dokken, a raw chicken, and a pelvic thrust. Yes, you need to go see it now.
Shoppera is a clever and concise musical animation that offers a compelling argument on the importance of shopper marketingf. It promotes Arc Worldwide’s method of really listening to consumers and paying attention to shopper behavior to determine effective marketing tactics. Watch the full-length film here.
At the first major award show of the season, Leo Burnett Worldwide walked away with an impressive six ANDYs – five Gold and one Silver, making us the most awarded network at the festival.
LB/Chicago picked up two Gold statues for the P&G Tampax “Zack Johnson integrated campaign, one in the Branded Content category and the other for Direction.
LB/London also won two Golds for the Shelter ‘House of Cards’ campaign, one for Integrated and the other for Design.
The Red Cross ‘Stories of Hope’ effort from LB/Iberia picked up Gold in Integrated.
And finally, LB/Toronto won Silver in Print for the P&G Cheer Dark ‘Artist, Cowboy, Rocker’ campaign.
The International Andy Awards has a reputation for assembling the most respected juries in the industry. This year they introduced the first ever “crowdsourced” jury. It included industry luminaries from traditional and digital backgrounds as well as artists and marketers from creative brands.
Congratulations to the teams in Chicago, London, Iberia and Toronto!
