Aap! - Alternative Advertising Possibilities

Yup - there is indeed a Japanese  design company focused on the exciting niche service of designing creative, functional barcodes for products sold throughout Japan and the world.  The Design Barcode Inc. a Shibuya based graphic design studio has won several awards including a Cannes Titanium award for their work incorporating unique designs and motifs into conventional barcodes. Great example of some level of attention put into some products.

More @ Design Barcode Inc. [Japanese only]

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.

Starting today (April 21) and running until May 6, Laforet in Harajuku is hosting the “KIKS TYO x YONE x AKI HOSHINO Sneaker Lover Pop-up Shop.”

“The LaForet Pop-up Shop will stock exclusive KIKS TYO collaboration items released in conjunction with Champion, New Balance and G-SHOCK. In addition, the Pop-up Shop will feature a special, LaForet limited KIKS TYO x YONE x AKI HOSHINO Sneaker Lover tee, only available at LaForet.”

Semi-clad girls + kicks (sneakers for those newbies) + pop up shops + limited editions = Absolute Marketing Genius

Aap!Global will present and attend the annual Future-M

> Meet us and other seasoned entrepreneurs, top executives and professionals from some of the hottest Silicon Valley companies get together to create a forum for networking and learning.

The 3rd annual event from VSC Consulting and the Haas School of Business Technology Club brings together seasoned entrepreneurs and top executives from some of the hottest companies in Silicon Valley, creating a forum for interaction, networking and learning.

Speakers Include:

Nitin Bhandari, Founder & CEO, Skyfire – Skyfire offers the desktop PC experience on your mobile phone.  Whether you are viewing video, Java or any other PC-exclusive Web feature, Skyfire allows the exact same viewing experience on your mobile phone.

Tim Chang, Principal VC, Norwest Venture Partners – Norwest Venture Partners manages more than $2.5 billion in venture capital and has funded over 400 companies since inception. Tim focuses on investments in wireless and digital media as well as business development initiatives in Asia-Pacific.

Vijay Chattha, Founder & CEO, VSC Consulting (Moderator) – VSC Consulting is an award-winning strategic public relations and digital marketing boutique. VSC is ranked among the top tier of boutique agencies in the United States, according to PRWeek Magazine, and has won 16 awards for its work in consumer technology, mobile, gaming and advertising.

Jameson Hsu, Founder & CEO, Mochi Media – Mochi Media builds tools and services that monetize and support the creation and passion of casual game developers.  Their most popular product, MochiAds, is the world’s first advertising network for casual games.

Matt Marshall, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, VentureBeat - VentureBeat is a daily blog offering news and information concerning venture capital funding.  Intended as a resource for entrepreneurs and other interested professionals, it focuses on private companies in Silicon Valley, but also features news from innovation hubs around the globe.

Robert Patterson - Founder,  Aap!Global - Aap!Global is a global leader in alternative advertising mediums .  Aap! develops and manages high impact advertisings spaces in partnership with established media companies.

Wed 4/9 (6PM) at Faculty Club @ UC Berkeley , Berkeley, CA (Map) 

More info @ Going.com

Up, up and away… According to the recently released PQ Media Study on alternative media ”Spending on alternative media jumped 22.0% to $73.43 billion in 2007 and grew at  a compound annual rate of 21.7% from 2002 to 2007 … The momentum is expected to continue in 2008 despite a slowing economy, as brand  marketers scramble to stay in step with a rapidly changing media landscape. Total  spending on alternative media is forecast to grow 20.2% to $88.24 billion in 2008  and post compound annual growth of 17.0% in the 2007-2012 period, reaching  $160.82 billion. Digital and alternative media are forecast to command 26.6% of  total U.S. advertising and marketing spend in 2012. “   

Be careful - you can easily get lost in here.  Checkout FFFFound.com - masterly easy image sharing and tagging… Currently invite only but you can navigate and explore its treasures…

Today in the mail we got one of the most random packages in our company’s history.  We received a jet black mix-tape from Wieden Kennedy - those superstars up in Portland and around the world doing the ad work for Nike and other global brands.  Thankfully in our workshop we have a more than ghetto stereo with a deck to play the vintage format….  The contents are surprising… but we won’t share them yet…

Just the tape’s opening statement …  - “The Whole World Is An Educational Institute…” Roll music…

Great collection…

We’re big fans of Banksy, his art/graffiti/social brand master, and while we’re not sure we agree with the above statement - advertisers, artists and more are drawing riles of debate on the statement through the internet.

Is “Advertising the greatest art form of the 20th century.” ??? as Marshall McLuhan prophesed?

We think John Jay over at Honeyee sums up how most “creatives” in advertising feel about the dynamic between art and advertising….

“While what I do may not be art, it is just as rewarding and challenging. It too is about creativity for a changing world” - John Jay - Creative Director @ WK.

From tunnel advertising to mobile marketing - Singaporean media agency Zenith Shares their thoughts on some new innovations in advertising (several of which include Aap!Global’s).

Read the article

Escalator Step Advertising featured in Comunicadores, a great Brasilian online magazine dedicated to advertising.  Learn more about Aap!Steps and advertising on escalator steps and escalator step risers.