Aap! - Alternative Advertising Possibilities

The 145 meter tall Dexia Tower in Belgium has been outfitted with a system of RGB Colored LED bars over its 4200 windows can be individually illuminated and controlled from an installation at the bottom of the tower.

Both static and dynamic input is supported.

The building’s light designs can change in real time and allow through a live snapshot picture taken from a distance to be sent digitally as an electronic postcard. Useful for seasonal campaigns, attention and the possible advertising campaign.

Recommended links of similar massive LED building installations @ Berlin LED Dispaly
More Info @ dexia-tower.be & lab-au.com

In-game advertising is failing to influence games players, according to a survey conducted by behavioral research agency Bunnyfoot.

Results showed a failure to capture the attention of the player in sports game which followed a real-world model of advertising, with the firm noting that, “current methods are not optimising consumer engagement and are failing to influence the consumer in any significant way”.

According to the firm, recall and recognition of in-game ads was low across the board. NBA Live and WWE Smackdown Vs RAW came out on top in the survey, while Project Gotham Racing 3 elicited no consumer engagement at all.

There is a lot of support from game makers and advertisers for this form of upgraded product placement. Will in-game advertising spend that in today is pegged around 60 million grow as expected to $1.8 billion by 2010 or will gamers and advertisers take cues that this type of advertising is more damaging and in effective? Only time will tell.

For the time being and as active gamers - we’re just happy that hopefully we’ll see less adverts in gaming.

Some interesting links on in game advertising:

General Background on In Game Advertising @ Wikipedia

In-Game Advertising Dos and Don’ts

Most Despicable Use of In-Game Advertising @ Game Spot Reviews

Out of Xmas Cards?

Look no further - create a simple and fun Flip-book for friends and family using your Mac.

Print out your own with the following PDF download (17megs)
Music Credit: Elektrisches Roulette by Kraftwerk of the album Ralf & FlorianSoftware Used: Flipbook Tweaker By TweakerSoft.

Merry X-Mas from the folks building giant flipbooks inside metro tunnels.

A simple solution to a X-mas headache. A little tip and last minute solution to you from the Aap!Global Team.

After spending a few hours in lines, trekking through malls, and finding last minute gifts I returned to my apartment to find a security tag left on my grandfather’s sweater. I know what you are thinking but no I didn’t steal the sweater - the busy and inattentive sales girl missed the security tag. Worried about exploding ink, and without the time to return to the store - I gathered my wits and found that the security tag is actually pretty easy to remove. To speed up your search for a solution i’ve taken the liberty to share the solution with you.

Tools required - two pliers and a little bit of force.

Step 1. Get you Pliers Ready!

Step 2. Clip the ends of each plier in little indentations on the tag - opposite the pin locked side.

Step 3. Move the end plier holding the indentation in a rainbow arc to the direction of the other plier. The locking pin will release and you’ll have access your garment!

Step 4. Relax.

Okay we know this has nothing to do with advertising, alternative media, nor much else anything but we thought it would be a useful and fun tip to share with readers.

But if you are still looking for X-mas gifts - we recommend the following for some last minute fun gifts for friends and family from the folks at Pingmag.

Happy Holidays!!!

Sao Paulo Vista Today

The Same Sao Paulo Vista in Two Weeks

On Jan. 1 the ban on outdoor advertising in São Paulo will begin. And, everything from roadside billboards to neon store signage will be suject to censure.

(For more on São Paulo’s advertising ban, read our previous article on the recently passed legislation )

The ban in brief:

• All billboards will have to come down. All of them. Advertisers will lose more than an estimated million display opportunities.
• All other forms of publicity in public spaces, distribution of fliers, and posting of movie bills will also stop.
• The law also regulates the dimensions of store signs, and will force many well-known companies to reduce them substantially by a formula based on the size of their facades.
• Another provision, much criticized by owners of transportation companies, outlaws advertising of any kind on the sides of the city’s thousands of buses and taxis.
• Violators of the above regulations will be subject to strict fines and penalties, including fines as high as 4800 USD per placement on both the advertiser and the media group holder.

The immediate effects:

The Biggest Losers:

• The City of Sao Paulo will lose millions of dollars worth of advertising share as advertising moves to TV, Radio, print, alternative, non-traditional venues, and private spaces.
• Outdoor media giants like ClearChannel, Viacom and others will lose access to 10s of millions of dollars in revenue. An estimated 133,200,000 million in city income.
• Local Workers: Printers, installers, and billboard frame makers will soon find themselves unemployed due to lack of demand.
• Small Entrepreneurs: Small local businesses will miss fair opportunities to compete with established brands for local consumers.
• Building Owners: Out of home media companies spend millions on maintenance of buildings and external space. Firms improve external facades, often apply external coverings, patch walls, painting buildings. Without advertising dollars, many building exteriors will further degrade, making Sao Paulo’s polluted concrete appearance even less.
• Safety of Residents: Loss of outdoor billboards and signage means a significant loss in lighting, that the municipality has no plans to replace.
• Citizen’s Rights: Free expression is certainly challenged by this government initiative. Should citizens want to buy advertising space to make a social statement, would they be denied? Are we returning to a dictatorial Brazil?
• Urban Identity: The City of Sao Paulo is about to lose some of its chaotic charm. As Dalton Silvano, the one city councilor who cast the single vote against the ban stated - “I think this city is going to become a sadder, duller place.” We agree. Sao Paulo does not have the natural or traditional beauty of cities like Paris and Rome. Its beauty and energy come from its chaos, its worn concrete, and its stark and futuristic architecture. Will Sao Paulo look like Pyongyang or a North Korean city?
  

The Biggest Winners:

Surely there must be some…

• Graffiti Artists and Vandals: Expect an upsurge in outdoor graffiti as a vast number of inviting empty spaces make themselves available. And while talented artists do have the potential to brighten a space, most business owners will find themselves bearing the cost to keep their facades clean of tags and vandalism.
• Creativity Marketing Firms: To reach their audiences, marketing firms will simply have to target individuals in more novel and unconventional ways. Those with the best ideas, will win. Expect newspaper, print, and other media to get upsurges in ad sales. Expect private space advertising to boom. And, pay attention for a spark in mobile marketing with SMS spam and more inviting MMS and integrated mobile marketing.
• The City of Sao Paulo - The city will indeed become a blank canvas. It’ll be up to the city to ensure that the potential to create a more peaceful, relaxing, attractive, and interesting municipal appearance is met. We’re hoping that public art will fill the void.
• Flora Lovers: With a blank slate, city planners will have a great opportunity to fill the streets with more trees and beauty. But will the municipality have funds? Will public beautification project be a priority? Or will a void be left by lost advertising spaces?
• Big Corporations - Sizable corporations, with deep pockets will win exclusive contracts for limited spaces. Mayor Kassab, the original author of the law has proposed that strictly regulated advertising at bus stops, newsstands, outdoor street clocks and public bathrooms will be explored after an trial ban of the law. But, who will win these contracts? Expect some difficult turf wars and some interesting under the table pay-offs to manifest as the fight to gain rights to limited outdoor advertising opportunities ensues.

What about Aap!Global?

Will non traditional media projects like Aap!Rails be banned? Is MetroVISTA at risk?

Nope - Our products slip through the cracks. Since the ban, more and more Brazilian firms have approached us to introduce some of our fun, non invasive, and legally allowed formats into the city. And, that demand is very telling. Businesses just won’t settle for being silenced. There is simply too great a demand, both on the corporate and consumer side, for product messaging, communication, and advertising. So for now, public expression still has a medium with us.
The only thing we want to know: Will an advertising ban really make Paulistanos happier? Will we work less and settle to slower pace, like our brothers in Rio? Or is this a model of things to come - will this ban spread to other global cities?