Avinor aims to the sky with Aap!Steps
January 26th, 2009
Avinor, the Norwegian airport operator is using Aap!Steps, escalator step advertising to wish riders in Norwegian airports “Nice flights!”. Simple effective and eye catching.
Escalator Step Advertising from aapglobal on Vimeo.
Aap!Motion in South Africa!!
January 2nd, 2009
Aap!Motion, lenticular motion panels are now available in South Africa. The first units have been assembled for the hit American Show Futurama. A rollout of 50 displays will occur in 2009 throughout the top 5 major South African markets bringing animation to static billboards in a cost effective and unique fashion.
Datakjeden running Aap!Rails Christmas campaigns!
December 2nd, 2008
Datakjeden, a large Scandinavian electronics shop is using escalator handrail advertising to drive traffic and lead customer visits in a busy holiday season.
Robbing Billboards?
December 1st, 2008
With the rising price of copper, a worsening general economy, thieves are turning to unusual places for profit. A thief in New Zealand has taken 15 specialty transformers (valued each at over $5000) from billboards owned by OTW. The transformers contain roughly $150 worth of scrap copper.
Infuritated by the theft, the billboard company has responded by placing a security photo of the suspected thief on its own billboards and offering a $500 reward.
The firm has recieved dozens of calls over the billboard, and are getting closer to identifying the man. The billboards will stay up until the police make an arrest.
There’s a news video report here.
[Via Boing Boing ]
Move Over QR Codes - Here comes NFCs
December 1st, 2008
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 Hitachi??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/
Interview with Visual Artist Marnix de Nijs
November 30th, 2008
What qualities do you value in your work, what do you strive to create?
As a contemporary artist I reflect on the world around me. A good work of art is for me a work that represents aspects of this world in critical manner and is successful when there’s a harmony, an agreement, a balance, between the way you present it and what you’re trying to say. The thing the work of art is trying to accomplish has to correspond with what it’s communicating. Because the world we live in gets more and more defined by technology it’s for me a logical step to use these technologies to tell something about this world, hence the technical character of my work.
How do the multi-faceted aspects of your work come together - do the mediums feel separate or do they all remain fluid and connected?
Do you have any set goals for this work or are you just interested in the creative process? What has been the result?
Do you see your projects as art or manufactured products?
The motives for making my works are very much alike as the motives from any artist. The functionality of the works however demands for production processes that come pretty close to the production techniques of manufactured products. Some works also do have the potential to be translated into commercial products but creating something new is always more challenging for me then exploiting old idea’s.
How collaborative are your projects? Do you work with other artists, crafts people and in what ways?
I’m a very individual person and develop my ideas mostly on my own. I would however never be able to realize these idea’s without the help of the dynamic pool of crafts people, artists and technicians around me. I’m always very happy to be able to co-operate with people that think with me, understand the concept, come with ideas to improve the results.
What do you think of advertising and commercial driven “art”?
I would propose to keep it simple, advertising and commercial driven art is not “art” because the intentions with which the works are made are different. Specially when talking about the field I know best, new media or video and animation, you can however question in which field the biggest artistic and creative steps are made these days.
How do you commercialize your work?
Do you ever feel that technology limits what you’re trying to do?
Has technology ever failed you in trying to construct a piece and message?
It does happen but at the same time a setup quite often reveals unexpected qualities with which I can tell the message.
What would the work be without limits?
I honestly wouldn’t know, the idea of having unlimited possibilities already blocks my imagination.
What is a typical work day/week like for you?
What has influenced your practice and how do you see yourselves inspiring others?
What new pieces are you working on?
I hope to finish my research project Exercise in Immersion by the end of September, at the same time I looking for new partners to create new levels for my installation Exploded views.
Do you collect anything?
No. It’s probably funny to read from somebody making such big hardware but I don’t like to have stuff around me.
Thanks Marnix!
Read more on Marnix De Nijs @
Intro to Digital Signage @ Time’s Square NYC
June 6th, 2008
A tour of Times Square from Keyframe on Vimeo.
John Woods visits Times Square and explores digital signage and outdoor media.
Most impressive is that One Times Square building is empty and tenant less. Millions are instead generated off digital signage on its exteriors. Great intro video and fun interview with owner of Landmark
Signs, Tony Calvano, whose company has been maintaining and installing
most ads in Times Square when they were painted!!
Medialoop’s installation of Aap!Rails and Aap!Motion for Sex and the City covered in advertising publication NA24.
[ Read original Article "Rullende sex i Bergen" ]
PSSST? Heard of GTA IV????
April 29th, 2008
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″ ?? 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…
Other Related Articles of Interest
GTAIV ads pulled because of San Andreas flap Chicago - Transit Authority gave up a contract potentially worth more than $200,000 in revenue because people complained about another ad campaign more than three years ago.
Graffiti Research Lab Documentary Out Soon…
April 23rd, 2008
We’re big fans of Graffiti Research Lab and some of the work they have done in theorizing and implementing new “open source” tools for communication.
A new documentary is due out soon on the work of these technology-hacker-graffiti urban artists. BoingBoingTV features a preview of the film (embedded above) and will premiere in New York on May 4th. Hot!
[Update]
Anti-Advertising Agency cohorts, the Graffiti Research Lab are premiering their ??Complete First Season? as part of PopRally at the Museum of Modern Art on May 4th @ 8PM + PARTY after with Javelin and special guests.
A panel after the film include Evan Roth, James Powderly, Steve Lambert, Bennett4$enate, and surprise guests.
In great open source nature - if you know command line wizardry, how to concat and use parity files, the whole DVD can be downloaded from our server 50mb at a time. Otherwise it??s on Pirate Bay.)
