20 most recent innovations in advertising

Billboard Helps Drivers Park

Thu, 18 Jun 2015 00:00:00 Z

In some vehicles with bad visibility out the back and no rear sensors for help, parallel parking can get a little difficult. For drivers at one particular parking spot in Germany, though, it could hardly be easier. Fiat and advertising agency Leo Burnett Germany created an interactive billboard where a variety of characters assist drivers in parking.

Ultrasonic sensors that are attached to the other vehicles in the surrounding parking spots are the key to this novel idea. They monitor how close a driver's car is getting, and the character on the screen shows how much room is left before crashing. For some added visual interest, the helpers change each time, including a woman in a Playboy bunny outfit, an old man, a little girl, and others. The stunt looks quite inventive in this video and is meant to promote Fiat's Park Assist feature.

Keep Drinks Cool Without Electricity

Tue, 10 Jun 2014 00:00:00 Z

In the town of Aipir, Colombia, the temperature can often get as high as 45ºC (113ºF), yet few of the residents have a reliable source of electricity. So, pulling an ice-cold beverage out of the fridge isn't really an option. Coca Cola and the Leo Burnett Colombia advertising agency therefor devised a "Bio Cooler" for the town – it reportedly chills cans of Coke, without using electricity.

The cooler was developed in collaboration with the International Physics Centre in Bogota, and is described solely in a short video released by Leo Burnett. It reportedly works by two methods ...

First, a compartment in the top of the cooler contains plants and soil, while the cans of Coke sit in a chamber below. When the plants are watered and much of that water subsequently evaporates, it has a cooling effect on the chamber.

Second, a mirror in the cooler focuses heat from the sun, which is somehow used to convert an unnamed gas to a liquid state, creating a cooling effect as that liquid is circulated around the Coke chamber. This could conceivably be something like a thermal-powered version of the CryoEnergy System, in which energy is stored by converting ambient-temperature gaseous air into cold liquid air.

Functional Caps For Old Bottles

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 00:00:00 Z

As part of its global sustainability program, Coca-Cola has launched ’2ndlives’, a line of 16 innovative caps which can be screwed onto bottles after consumption, transforming them into useful objects, such as paintbrushes, water guns and pencil sharpeners. To encourage consumers to reuse and recycle plastic, the beverage company teamed up with advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather China for the campaign, in which 40,000 free bottle caps will be distributed throughout Thailand and Indonesia with soda purchases.

3D-Milled Ice Cubes

Thu, 17 Apr 2014 00:00:00 Z

Japanese creative agency TBWA\Hakuhodo recently applied CNC router technology in a unique way to create a series of stunning ice cubes for Japanese whiskey company Suntory as part of a novel advertising campaign. Miwako Fujiwara from TBWA\Hakuhodo told Crave that the CNC router was kept chilled to a temperature of -7 degrees Celcius (about 19 Fahrenheit) to keep the cubes from melting.

They fed the carving machine its data from Autodesk 123D, an awesome desktop and iOS app that lets you use your iPhone or iPad to capture a 3D image of anything you'd like, manipulate it, and then print it out using a 3D printer, CNC router, laser cutter, or even a holographic printing process.

Fujiwara says that the first step in the creation process is for the machine to carve the ice with a thick bit. The intricate detail is then added with a finer tip. After the cubes are made, she says, "a touch of chilled whiskey polishes the surface of the ice and gives a beautiful shine to the sculpture."

If you're thinking of having 3D-carved ice cubes at your next party, however, think again. According to Fujiwara, each cube took between 1 and 6 hours to make depending on the complexity of the design. "We are considering some improvements to shorten the process," she added.

Clever Newspaper Ad That Hides A 3D Kitchen

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 00:00:00 Z

When reading newspapers, we tend to flip through the ads very quickly—to grab the attention of the reader, Colombia-based creative director Felipe Salazar has created a clever ad for Corona Kitchen that plays tricks on the eye.

Looking like a typical classified ads page of the newspaper, this ad manipulates the newsprint columns to create an optical illusion that make it look as though a miniature kitchen has been embedded right into the newspaper.

Using nothing but rows of text, he has managed to render the clear outlines of a three-dimensional kitchen and its basic elements, including a gas hob and an oven.

Billboard Comes Alive Whenever A Train Pulls Into The Station

Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:00:00 Z

If you've ever waited on a subway platform, you're familiar with that woosh of air that comes through the tunnel prior to a train's arrival. Swedish ad agency Akestam Holst and production company Stopp produced an ad for a new line of hair care products that puts that phenomenon to good use.

The creative Swedes put ultrasonic sensors behind video screens on a subway platform in Stockholm. They then connected the sensors to the screen via a Raspberry Pi microcomputer.

The video screens showed a woman with long flowing hair. When the sensors detected the approaching train they triggered the video image to show the woman's hair flying around her face as if it were being blown by the wind from the tunnel. Simple, but effective. So effective, in fact, that the company left the ad for Apotek Hjärtat's Apolosophy products up for five days even though it had originally only planned it as a day-long stunt.

Smart Billboards For Smarter Campaign

Mon, 13 Jan 2014 00:00:00 Z

Designed for IBM's Smarter Cities campaign, the strategy fuses advertising with helpful additions to the street such as benches, shelters and ramps.

Ogilvy & Mather designed one billboard that curves over at the top to form a rain shelter and another that peels up from the wall to create a seat. A ramp covering steps assists those wheeling bicycles or suitcases through the streets.

Each ad uses simple graphics in bold colours to represent its function, with text encouraging users and passers by to interact online.

The billboards were first launched in London and Paris, and IBM intends to roll out the designs across other cities around the world.

Ad Lets You Try Custom Colors Before You Buy

Mon, 23 Dec 2013 00:00:00 Z

Designing compelling interactive ads for web is hardly a challenge for experienced marketers, but engaging print magazine readers in a similar way requires significant creativity. One method is through technology -- Esquire stood out at newsstands with its attention-grabbing E Ink cover in October 2008, and Forbes turned some heads with a Microsoft ad earlier this year that integrated a functioning T-Mobile WiFi hotspot -- but Wired's January 2014 issue shall not go without mention, thanks in no small part to a partnership with Motorola.

A trio of LEDs, a slab of plexiglass, four batteries and an array of buttons make up an interactive Moto X ad, right in the middle of the magazine. The design enables readers to "customize" a Moto X's rear, with bright LEDs illuminating the phone in 11 different colors. Tap blue and the phone lights up blue, yellow and it's yellow, red for red, and so on. The ad shuts off after a few seconds of inactivity, so those four lithium batteries should last you for quite some time, serving as a reminder of Moto's accomplishment long after the smartphone is laid to rest, while boosting this issue's appeal for collectors as well.

Stick'n Glide

Mon, 04 Nov 2013 00:00:00 Z

This innovative table display has been created specifically for outdoor applications. It happily stays in place on the most windy days. In contradiction to its name, no sticky substances have been used to achieve this feat. Instead Crea came up with a more elegant and ecological solution.

A combination of slippery plastic and clever design make the bottom of the table display act as a suction cup. As a result the Stick'n Glide can easily slide over a table surface but it will not fall or blow away. Clever!

Coca-Cola bottle made of ice

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:00:00 Z

Thirsty beachgoers in Colombia may now avail themselves of the ultimate in chilled beverages--and no messy plastic left over! Coca-Cola has undertaken another bit of stunt bottling with the Botello de Hielo, or bottle of ice.

An Ice bottle has a really cool ring about it but the idea seems a little bit unpractical Sure, it has a nice live-for-now message built in (wait . . . isn’t that Pepsi’s line?), but it can’t be comfortable to hold (even with the rubber band that encircles the bottle) or to drink or generally to be around. But as a promo on a steamy Colombian beach, it’ll do for a summer warm-up.

Laser tattoos to replace labels on fruit

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:00:00 Z

fruit may no longer come with sticky labels thanks to an EU ruling approving the use of chemicals applied with a laser to brand fresh produce.

The European Union has approved the use of iron oxides and hydroxides on the skin of fruit, which are used to make laser markings stand out more clearly without penetrating the peel.

Alongside company branding and information on country of origin, the tattoos could include barcodes or QR codes that shoppers would scan to access more details about the product.

Spanish company Laser Food, which has developed a machine that can apply laser logos to as many as 54,000 pieces of fruit an hour, has been campaigning for the ban on the chemicals to be lifted since 2009.

The company claims the technique could have environmental benefits by reducing the paper, plastic and glue used in stickers, as well as preventing fruit being sold on without details of its supply chain.

Anti-abuse campaign uses lenticular printing

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 Z

A new awareness campaign meant to stop child abuse (and help victims find support) is delivering its message in a unique way. The ANAR Foundation has turned to lenticular printing to create outdoor ads that appear differently to adults and children. Adults walking past the display will see an awareness message: "sometimes, child abuse is only visible to the child suffering it." When viewed from the average height of a 10-year-old child, however, the poster is totally different. It depicts a bruised victim of abuse with a message including ANAR's hotline number where kids can reach out for counseling. The benefits of the lenticular approach are two-fold; it allows the nonprofit to effectively deliver two messages to the public using a single advertisement. Even more important, exposing the hotline number only to children was an intentional choice meant to target kids that may be in the presence of an abuser. The video below demonstrates the campaign in action.

Interactive video

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 Z

If there were any lingering doubt that the music video has found a new home away from the television screen, here's a clip that MTV couldn't play even if it wanted to. For Light Light's new video for "Kilo," the Netherlands-based band enlisted Roel Wouters to create an browser-based experience that tracks your cursor movements and later integrates them into the video itself for future playback. As instructed by messages at the top of the screen, thousands of cursors form patterns by sticking within guidelines, obscure band members' faces by acting as a collective mask, and create an opponent for a boxer on the other side of the screen. Play the video for yourself at www.donottouch.org.

Unusual Ad Space

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 Z

A good way to get your advertisement plenty of exposure is to place it where there will be a lot of people looking. With that in mind, Japanese advertising company Absolute Territory PR is offering a unique service that gives brands a ‘leg up’ on their competitors—by renting the legs of young Japanese girls as ad space.

Using the notion that ‘sex sells’, this clever marketing strategy was reported to be a big hit with businesses across Tokyo—especially to Japanese men.

Girls who are interested in renting out their legs will have to get their legs ‘stamped’ with an ad, after which they can go about their daily routine.

They will have to wear the ad for eight hours or more a day to get paid—and preferably dressed in miniskirts and high socks.

To prove that they are ‘advertising’ the stickers, participants must also post pictures of themselves wearing the ad on Facebook, Twitter or other social media networks.

Eichi Atsumi—a spokesperson for the ad company—said that the only guidelines for the job is that the registered person should be connected to “at least more than 20 people on some social network and that they are over 18 years old”.

According to The Daily Mail, about 1,300 girls have already “registered their legs as ad space” with the company, and the numbers are only increasing.

‘Thigh-vertisements’—yay or nay?

Sony patent reveals new curved camera sensor technology

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:00:00 Z

Recently a new Sony patent was spotted describing a curved sensor technology. Having a curved sensor allows an increase in the lens performance and reduces the size of the lens.The most likely use of such a technology is in devices with fixed lenses like smartphones and tablets. In short, a curved sensor could lead to smaller and cheaper camera units. This should positively affect the price and size of the device it ends up in.

Coca Cola magazine amplifier

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 00:00:00 Z

iPhone users in Brazil who also subscribe to a magazine called Capricho recently got an extra bonus in one issue. But it wasn't a promo code for a free iTunes track or anything like that. No, it was a special printed cover that turned the rolled up magazine into a passive amplifying speaker for their phone. The clever stunt was, not surprisingly, an advertisement for Coca-Cola—specifically a special promotion that was running in South America.

Free ad-supported underwear

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:00 Z

In a marketing move, a Japanese company is offering up to seven pairs per month of “free” underwear that are ad supported. Meaning that, yes, you are advertising down there, though most likely just to yourself.

All you have to do is sign up on the Free-Pants site that gets your details, the kind of advertising you’d like to sport, and a few survey questions about yourself and your interests. No questions related to your proclivity to de-robe in public (imagine the value of getting Kusanagi to wear your underwear!), but the site itself even says that the point is for you to get exposure to the ads during the “eight times a day” that you see them. Men’s boxers only at this point.

Sound QR codes

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:00:00 Z

UK-based app Chirp is also aiming to turn sound into a vehicle for data transmission. Users begin by selecting a URL or uploading a file they would like to send to another smartphone owner. The app then converts the link into a series of 20 short notes – known as a chirp. When others have the app running, the phone ‘listens’ to the chirp and displays a link to download the content being sent. The app is able to distinguish the chirp from background noise even in loud environments, making it suitable both for friend-to-friend sharing at home, for companies wanting to transmit data over a PA system, or for advertisers broadcasting on the radio, for example. Once the chirp has been received, the recipient can then choose to share it over social networks within the app.

Milkmaid smart jug texts you when the milk goes bad

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 Z

Who hasn't had milk go bad in the fridge and not noticed until all the shops are shut? The prototype Milkmaid "smart jug" aims to solve this problem by detecting spoiled milk and sending a message to its owner informing them of the need to buy fresh supplies.

The Milkmaid was developed as the result of a contest held by General Electric and Quirky - a crowdsourcing site for product development. The challenge was to make everyday objects "smarter with software." Emerging from the various pitches came a request from Stephanie Burns for a milk jug "that tells when it's REALLY going bad." Thus the Milkmaid was born.

There are three aspects to the Milkmaid. The first is its ability to detect when milk is starting to turn. This is managed by a pH sensor in the base. According to the video below milk has an optimum pH level of 6.7, and this drops as the milk starts to spoil. The pH sensor in the base of the Milkmaid smart jug detects these changes and informs its owner by changing the color of its LED lights. In addition the Milkmaid sends a text message to an assigned mobile phone with the status of the milk, which is the second aspect. The third is a free iPhone app (no word yet on versions for Android or Windows Phone) that lists stats about the milk contained within the Milkmaid. This includes how much liquid is left, the temperature, and the expected expiration date.

The quart-sized jug can be removed from the "SmartBase" to be used just like any other container. Thankfully some thought has gone into the look of the jug itself, and it could grace the kitchen of any design-conscious individual with a pressing need for the smart capabilities contained within the base.

Touchcode is an invisible solution which links printed paper to digital content

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Z

Touchcode is an invisible electronic date tag that can be printed on nearly any surface – including paper, carton or foil – to establish a link between online and offline communications. In order to activate the data, a user simply needs a multi-touchsmartphone or tablet and an app or web app that correlates with the printed material. Placing the document on the device’s screen will automatically trigger the device to access and play the coordinating content. There is no need for a camera, a Near Field Communication device or hardware modifications – just a regular touchscreen device and a Touchcode-imprinted document.