Aap! - Alternative Advertising Possibilities

‘GATWICK Passengers landing at Gatwick airport are being greeted by a giant naked pole dancer. The 9,000 sq m (100,000 sq ft) image is painted on grassland under the incoming flight path

.

Planning officers are investigating whether permission was granted for the advertisement, which promotes a website. The Council to Protect Rural England said that the display was â??a tacky advert which set a nasty precedentâ??’

Expect copy cats to follow suit.

And yes - of course we took a peak at the site…

Co-Core, a joint venture between the Transcosmos marketing firm, the Sankei Shimbun news organization, and the From Software game development agency is developing a 3D virtual world catering specifically to the Japanese called Meet-ME.
Dubbed “Second Life, Made in Japan,” by the Japanese Media, the software was announced on June 5th and is set to be released in a winter alpha. Meet-ME’s main difference from Linden Lab’s pioneering Second Life virtual world is its user-friendliness and sex free environment. The project aims to cater to Japanese people of all ages. The metaverse will recreate the streets of Tokyo’s 23 wards and prohibit the adult content prevalent in Second Life.

Although being initially developed for machines running Windows Vista, the developers plan to expand the compatible systems to even mobile phones. They also plan to expand the metaverse beyond Tokyo to other regions of Japan and eventually other countries. Co-Core is aiming for one million users by the end of 2008.

Like Second Life - the development company will profit from taxing transcations on virtual world currencies and economy.

Not much else is known but we’re curious to know where and how in game and or avatar advertising is going to fit in this model.

Will this system be popular with Japanese users? That will have to wait and see.

More information  @  IT Media Japan

RFID-enabled posters have been installed at the JR Shinjuku Station of Tokyo adding yet another medium of interaction between static outdoor media and cell phone equipped users. These “Suipo” short for “Suica + Poster,” billboards interact with passengers when passengers “swipe” their RFID tickets (SUICA cards) at the posters. The posters then parse relevant information, prizes, coupons and ads to user cell phones in the same fashion as QR, Bluetooth or other mobile marketing communication formats. ”

RFID readers located between the posters. First time users need to associate their RFID ticket IDs with their mobile phone email addresses, using a nearby kiosk terminal.

What’s hot is how well the outdoor prints are directing users to interact with the Suipo points.
What’s not is that users must first initialize their cell phone with Suipa readers.

Very frustrating, but from early reports - there is a high rate of adoption.  Compared to QR Codes and Bluetooth - swiping your phone is very, very easy and comfortable.
All in all - more great stuff for bored commuters waiting.

Must Read Article on Suipo/Suica Posters
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Learn more @ the Suipo/Suica website

Learn more about Jeki - the company building the RFID units

Oh yes - you do want to buy Peach John…

Press Release: Aap!Motion: Lenticular Motion Panel Technology
Aap!Motion lens combine the best of motion advertising with out of home placement.

(Los Angeles - California).  Aap!Global, an alternative advertising technology developer today announced the launch of  Aap!Motion, its new lenticular motion panel technology that combines the best of motion advertising with out of home placement.

Aap!Motion is a new communication medium from Aap!Global that creates animated motion pictures through the use of static photo frames WITHOUT the need of complex electronics displays or moving parts. Sequential frames from any film clip can be overlain in a precise fragmented manner that, when seen through a specially designed optic lens, generates motion picture animation to the enjoyment of any viewer.

Aap!Motion aims to combine the advantages and enjoyment of motion picture media with the size and impact of out-of-home placement. Aap!Motion can be installed in a variety of scenarios and will be enjoyed by people in motion whether on foot, escalators, moving sidewalks or even inside subway cars.

Possible examples include placement at airports, malls, convention centers, cinemas, casinos, office hallways, arena/stadiums, subway tunnels, railroad tracks - anywhere with large amounts of moving pedestrian traffic.

Aap!Motion pedestrian motion panels work similarly to Aap!Global’s MetroVISTA subway tunnel advertising platform using the psychological phenomenon known as ‘persistance of vision.’ Aap!Motion works at any speed and is effective in natural or illuminated light, with or without backlighting.

Aap!Motion consists of only two core elements - an optic lens made from strong acrylic plastic, designed to withstand outdoor environments and a printed picture, generated using a patented algorithm to separate, compress, and overlay the frames. Aap!Motion boxes can be made to any size, length or dimension.

Aap!Global provides multiple procurement options from fully finished pedestrian motion panels made to any specifications or merely the lens and printed picture from a customer sourced media clip. The simplicity of the product lends itself to extreme flexibility in placement. Already installed traditional lightboxes or signage can even be retrofitted with an Aap!Motion lens and print material to create a unique animated billboard.

Aap!Global invites individuals, agencies and the community at large to learn more about Aap!Motion @
http://www.aapglobal.com/aapmotion.php

About Aap!Global

Aap!Global specializes in creating and managing high recall, high impact advertising spaces worldwide.  Some of its patented advertising platforms include MetroVISTA - subway tunnel advertising, Aap!Rails - Escalator Handrail Advertising, Aap!Stripes - Floor Graphic Technology and a variety of other out of home, internet and mobile technologies that help client brands reach consumers in relevant, surprising and unconventional ways.

Aap!Global is a division of the Aedeas Group - a global concept development firm.

More information @ http://www.aapglobal.com

Press Contact:

Chris Seta
Director of Operations | Aap!Global
+ 1949 999 2035

Straight from the horse’s mouth, PQ Media reports that in the United States Alternative Out-of-home media is booming

While advertising spending in out-of-home media is healthy, alternative out-of-home media is booming, according to an analysis released Monday from PQ Media.

Compared to total out-of-home, which grew 10.6 percent last year, alternative out-of-home media (video advertising networks and screens, digital billboards and displays and place-based advertising), grew 27 percent in 2006 to $1.69 billion. For 2007, alternative out-of-home is forecast to grow at an accelerated 27.7 percent rate.

â??Alternative out-of-home media is being electrified by what could be dubbed a perfect storm,â?? said Patrick Quinn, president and CEO of PQ Media. Ironically, the trends impeding traditional media, consumer fragmentation and control, advertising accountability and the emergence of digital technology, are the very catalysts stimulating the tremendous growth in alternative out-of-home advertising.â??

Among the three segments of alternative out-of-home media identified by PQ Media in its latest forecast report, video advertising networks is the largest sub-segment, accounting for 60 percent of total spending against media provided by companies such as National CineMedia, Premiere Retail Networks and Gannettâ??s Captivate Network. Spending in the video sub-segment grew 28 percent in 2006 to just over $1 billion.

Digital billboards and displays rolled out by companies such as Clear Channel Outdoor, Lamar Advertising and Reactrix Systems, is the fastest-growing sub-segment, with spending up 55.4 percent in 2006 to $232.2 million.

Place-based media, the second largest segment of alternative out-of-home media, grew 14.1 percent to $446.4 million. ”

Source > Media Week Press Releases

We’re not really sure what to make of Justin.tv - the streaming reality web show portraying the life of Justin Khan 24/7 - but we’re betting this might be something that could explode in popularity. Is this the natural progression of video online? Will “you” be the next Big Brother? Are we gonna see a network erupt of other Justin’s or other streaming video loggers? I can’t wait for a hot girl 24/7. I’ve always wanted a human fish bowl.

Congrats to the guys @ Justin.tv from fellow monkeys at Aap!Global

Today we’re exploring the controversial world of subliminal advertising with an over of recent me examples in practice across different media in hopes of determining if its effective, ethical and productive.

First a definition from Wikipedia:

“A subliminal message is a signal or message embedded in another object, designed to pass below the normal limits of perception. These messages are indiscernible to the conscious mind, but are alleged to be perceptible to the subconscious or deeper mind: for example, an image transmitted so briefly that it is only perceived subconsciously, but not otherwise noticed. Subliminal techniques have occasionally been used in advertising and propaganda; the purpose, effectiveness and frequency of such techniques is debated.” (Wikipedia)

So where does it fit in the world of advertising?

Lets move to a well known historical example:

DRINK COKE! - EAT POPCORN

“Perhaps the most widely known claim was made in 1957 by James Vicary, a market researcher. He claimed that over a six-week period, 45,699 patrons at a movie theater in Fort Lee, New Jersey were shown two advertising messages, Eat Popcorn and Drink Coca-Cola, while they watched the film Picnic. According to Vicary, a message was flashed for 3/1000 of a second once every five seconds. The duration of the messages was so short that they were never consciously perceived. Despite the fact that the customers were not aware of perceiving the messages, Vicary claimed that over the six-week period the sales of popcorn rose 57.7% and the sales of Coca-Cola rose 18.1%.”

Vicary’s claims led to a public outcry, and to many conspiracy theories of governments and cults using the technique to their advantage. The practice of subliminal advertising was subsequently banned in the United Kingdom, and Australia, but not formally in the United States (actions were taken by the National Association of Broadcasters in 1958.

Read the rest of this entry »

Talk about growth! - according to a great and interesting New York Times article “Anywhere the Eye Can See, Itâ??s Likely to See an Ad” the alternative out of home media market has exploded worldwide.  The article states:
‘The â??alternative mediaâ?? category represented $387 million in spending in the United States last year, up from $24 million in 2000, according to PQ Media, a research firm.

From escalator handrails to metro tunnels to table trays to parking stripes to more - expect alternative out of home media to become more mainstream and part of the large estimated 25 billion dollar out of home media market.

We’ve got to give credit to Saatchi & Saatchi, the creative agency behind this very ingenious (and possibly offensive) fun outdoor media campaign for Head and Shoulders Anti-Dandruff shampoo that placed a camera into the ceiling of British photo booths. When the users snapped a photo of themselves - besides receiving a set of traditional prints, the user also received a photo of their recipient’s hairline with instructions and notes on the dandruff shampoo.

Via Core 77

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