Aap! - Alternative Advertising Possibilities

Is Google feeling the heat from Microsoft? The internet giant has launched the “Go Google” campaign to push its enterprise software, with billboards going up in Boston, Chicago, Manhattan, and San Francisco.

Read more about the OOH campaign at AdWeek.

No advertising medium will be left behind with Zoom Media & Marketing and VH1’s new interactive initiative. VH1’s program “The Great Debate” will feature a groundbreaking interactive initiative that will enable audience participation via TV broadcast; VH1; Facebook; Viacom’s massive “44 1/2″ HD screen in Times Square; and Zoom Media & Marketing`s exclusive network of digital out-of-home media locations. Read more from Monday’s press release here.

There’s another social network in town, but this time it’s geared to those in the OOH Advertising field. The B2B network for outdoor advertising, the Great Outdoor Network aims to help you connect, find new ventures, and land another deal.

You can find Aap!Global registered in the index as well as Aap!Global’s Robert Patterson.

Datakjeden, a large Scandinavian electronics shop is using escalator handrail advertising to drive traffic and lead customer visits in a busy holiday season.

Softbank Mobile, NTT Data and Hitachi and Dutch smart chip maker Gemalto are testing a new technology that aims to replace printed QR Codes and provide participats digital information by simply swiping their compatible cellphone or laptop near posters or other advertisements.

The first “field test” for the NFC or Near Field Communication, a short range, high frequency wireless communication medium is being conducted in Chiba, Tokyo in WALL-E and Tinker Bell movie posters embedded with the new technology tags.

Test participants will be able to receive and view digital content such as movie stills and trailers simply by holding their NFC-compatible phones (containing NFC-USIM cards) next to the smart posters. Along with the digital content, users also receive an access code that, when transferred to a compatible Hitachi HDTV at home, allows them to view a WALL-E trailer in high definition (via Hitachiâ??s content distribution service).

The tests, which are designed to help the companies evaluate the effectiveness and potential of NFC smart posters as a promotional medium, could be a sign of things to come in the field of poster advertising. Should NFC smart posters become cheap and easy to produce, they have the potential to replace the ubiquitous QR (2D) code that commonly appears in Japanese advertising posters. NFC is seen as more convenient than QR code because the user does not have to scan a code and visit a separate website to view the data. Instead, digital content can be accessed directly with a simple swipe of the phone.

NFC aims to provide improved accessibility when compared with traditional QR code because the user does not have to scan a code and visit a separate website to view the data. Instead, digital content can be accessed directly with a simple swipe of the phone.

The technology sounds great, but the added cost of additional tags installation, a non universal platform, and additional required content may limit the potential of this technology.

[Source: Nikkei Net, NTT Data]

More on NFCs

General information on Near Field Communication - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

NFC - Industry Forum @ http://www.nfc-forum.org/home

Industry Coverage @ http://www.nearfieldcommunicationsworld.com/

Japan Office as Seen From Google Maps Street View…

Google’s hardworking wizard camera vans have finished traversing the labyrinth that is Tokyo; which means today you can tour some of the world’s most wonderful advertising and general real estate in Tokyo without leaving the comfort of your desk. No flight required….

While most foreigners will be happy to virtually tour the wonders of Meiji Shrine, see the shopping district of Ginza or visit the tourist spots of Tsukiji fish market,… we’ve put together a quick tour of some of our favorite outdoor media spots in Tokyo for the virtual world to enjoy.

Hachiko Square Shibuya Tokyo - one of Tokyo’s busiest railway stations, Shibuya is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area. The central meeting points features some of the largest and most expensive media real estate in the world. With full building digital displays to street teams - this is a great place to start on your tour of Japanese outdoor media.

Shibuya 109 - The iconic building owned by the Tokyu group is the original of the 2 and displays some of the finest building wraps in the world.

Read the rest of this entry »

GTA IV, “the new open-world, action-driving video game released today around the world will easily “top last year’s record-breaking $300 million first-week sales of Microsoft and Bungee Studios’ first-person shooter “Halo 3″ â?? and all without a similar marketing bonanza or budget. 

According to the AP report - ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Promo Campaign Kept Quiet’  Rockstar has been trying to keep their marketing message on the “downlow.”

We’ve been truly impressed in Rockstar’s ability to communicate and build hype directly with gamers through viral internet teasers and low cost non traditional out of home media including amazing phony wanted billboards, graffiti, and viral websites. (Even Bagel Bags, Coffee Cups…)

Some of the ficitional wanted adverts have included in them an e-mail address where residents of “liberty city” (the game’s fictional universe) can send in “tips” to LibertyCityPolice.com, a website which undoubtedly will be accessible inside the game’s internet function.

From a marketing perspective all this has been absolutely brilliant. From a CFO’s perspective the campaigns have demonstrated the value of low cost non traditional media and most importantly from a gamer’s perspective they have even been critical in building trust, interest and a direct relationship with players.   Seen in certain European and US cities, while we love the work we are just a little curious to see if these posters raised any objections.

Of course knowing Rockstar this was probably the intent…

GTA IV out today. Instead of enjoying the marketing - go play the game…

Review of GTA IV @ IGN 

Other Related Articles of Interest 

GTAIV ads pulled because of San Andreas flap Chicago - Transit Authority gave up a contract potentially worth more than $200,000 in revenue because people complained about another ad campaign more than three years ago.

 

We’ve written about aroma marketing before and we’re big fans of innovations in mobile marketing - so what better way than to combine the two and cover NTT DoCoMo’s new fragrance cartridge equipped devices that interact with cellphones via IR and emit signature scents.

The company hopes to partner with mobile content providers so that horoscopes the weather report,  web video, and more come paired with signature scents.  The platform is still in pilot stage, and we’re not sure what user reaction will fair or how accurate the scents are - still its exciting to see new innovations that aim to tie the senses.

From an outdoor media company’s perspective - the fragrance systems could be installed in transit shelters to create a fuller sensory experience.  Imagine waiting for the bus and smelling freshly baked cookies triggered by a coupon on your cellphone…

Read the NTT Communications Press Release “NTT Com to Pilot Test Mobile Fragrance Communication Service” for more information.

Our parent company - the Aedeas Group recently launched into beta WeAre.Us - a set of very cool, online “social support networks“  that bring together thousands of individuals in a social networking community geared specifically to their needs.

The platform and network sites provide a venue for  those with similar interests, conditions, and visions communicate, collaborate, share information and experiences. On WeAre.Us sites, users can share the wealth of their experience and plan for the future with those like them.

The most popular networks under the platform include sites geared specifically to medical communities: WeAreHD.org for Huntington’s Disease, CancerCancer.org for the Cancer community, WeAreCrohns.org for the Crohn’s Community among others.

The sites are growing very rapidly, and are a great way to find people who share similar problems, aspirations, interests and more.

More info @ http://www.WeAre.Us

“Advertising is a tax you pay for unremarkable thinking.” -  Robert Stephens of the Geek Squad and head of one of the growing number of brands that have been built without the help of major advertising agencies or budgets.

Read more in BusinessWeek’s Re-cap on Advertising and Branding 2007