Aap! - Alternative Advertising Possibilities

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, It’s Likely to See an Ad” the alternative out of home media market has exploded worldwide.  The article states:
‘The “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

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.

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?

From Adrants we learned of the following anti-drowning campaign by Australia’s Watch Around Water NGO. The organization is placing images of drowned children at the bottom of swimming pools. While its definitely eye catching and creative - I’m worried about THE annoyance this might cause for passing individuals? Will they jump in to save the child?

Or as the Adrants editor points “At some point we figure people are going to catch onto this whole fake-dead-people-as-props trend, and when they do they’ll come across some real dead people and scoff. Then what are we going to do? Say “I’m sorry”?”

While definitely creative and daring, the advert is tasteless and intrusive? Worse - what will that true little boy think? Is he traumatized, did he learn his lesson? Has this advert saved any children?
I hope not for the sake of children world wide.

Related information from Wikipedia on drowning…

In many countries, drowning is one of the leading causes of death for children under 14 years old. The rate of drowning in populations around the world varies widely according to their access to water, the climate and the national swimming culture. For example, typically the United Kingdom suffers 450 drownings per annum or 1 per 150,000 of population whereas the United States suffers 6,500 drownings or around 1 per 50,000 of population. Drowning related injuries are the fifth most likely cause of accidental death in the US. In some regions, drowning is the second most likely cause of injury and death for children after car accidents. The rate of near drowning incidents is unknown. Victims are more likely to be male, young or adolescent. Surveys indicate that 10% of children under 5 have experienced a situation with a high risk of drowning. The causes of drowning cases in the US are as follows:

• ^{44% are related to swimming}
• ^{17% are related to boating}
• ^{14% are unattributed}
• ^{10% related to scuba diving}
• ^{7% related to car accidents}

More importantLy - here is what parents can do to prevent drownings>

From Safe Kids Canada

Stay with young children at all times when they are near water or in water.

Young children most often drown in these water hazards:

* home swimming pools
* bathtubs
* rivers and lakes
* hot tubs, ditches, ponds, sewage lagoons, canals

Safety check

* Always stay right beside your child (under age 5) when he or she is in the water or close to water. This includes the bathtub. Make sure you can see your child at all times. Do not leave him or her alone, not even for a few seconds.
* If there is a water hazard nearby, do not leave your child (under age 5) in the care of an older child without adult supervision.
* If you have a swimming pool, make sure it is properly fenced in and has a gate that closes and latches by itself (called a self-closing, self-latching gate).

For more on preventing drowning

We were featured today in the bilingual Japanese English magazine PingMag for our efforts in Tokyo!
Read the interesting article on the innovative advertising practices in Japan @

http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/10/13/top-10-ad-tricks-in-tokyos-train-stations/

What if politicians like F1 or NASCAR race drivers wore on their clothing all the sponsors of their campaigns?

Good Magazine explores the visual impact of contributions to politicians with the following image:

” Sponsor a Senator

words by Morgan Clendaniel

illustration by Serifcan Özcan

In the 2006 midterms, Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Rick Santorum (R-PA), both running for re-election, have raised the most money of any candidate in their respective parties. Here are the NASCAR-style uniforms they would wear if companies were proud of their political donations, and if running for senate required a flame-retardant suit.

HILLARY CLINTON
Hillary Clinton’s top contributions by sector
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate $4,650,601
Lawyers & Lobbyists $3,533,740
Other $3,258,584
Miscellaneous Business $2,332,809
Communications/Electronics $1,808,119
Health $1,122,341
Construction $521,796
Ideology/Single-Issue $432,270
Labor $340,545
Agribusiness $211,565
Energy/Natural Resource $206,462
Transportation $118,210
Defense $86,050

TOTAL (as of June 30th): $33,180,949

RICK SANTORUM
Rick Santorum’s top contributors by sector
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate $2,812,841
Miscellaneous Business $1,373,537
Lawyers & Lobbyists $1,357,125
Health $1,258,021
Other $1,243,951
Construction $666,015
Energy/Natural Resource $651,541
Ideology/Single-Issue $563,073
Communications/Electronics $474,990
Agribusiness $399,237
Transportation $299,574
Defense $76,000
Labor $56,706

TOTAL (as of June 30th): $17,252,473″

Source: http://www.goodmagazine.com/issue001/Political_NASCAR

A recent report in Promo magazine only confirms the growth potential behind alternative advertising technologies.

A highly recommended reading for marketers.

We offer an executive summary of points covered:

• Spending on alternative media strategies surged 16.4% in the first half of 2006 to an estimated $53.37 billion compared with the same period of 2005. Growth was driven by double-digit gains in most of the 23 subsegments of alternative media.
• PQ Media estimates that spending on alternative media will accelerate in the second half of 2006, growing 18.5% to $115.77 billion for full-year 2006. The alternative advertising sector is forecast to grow 19.9% for the year, while alternative marketing is expected to increase 17.6%.
• Total alternative media spending rose 18.8% in 2005 to $97.66 billion, far exceeding traditional media and nominal GDP growth in 2005 and in the 2000-2005 period.
• Driving growth is the shift of media usage from traditional media to consumer-engaged content, such as blogs and online games; the migration of younger audiences to digital media, like videogames and podcasting; and the ability of alternative media to supply better ROI metrics, like search advertising.
• The largest alternative media subsegments include event marketing, cable advertising, and Internet advertising, while the fastest growing subsegments include user-generated media, mobile marketing, and videogame advertising.

Read the entire article here