NY Digital Lab

Video Projection: When Buildings Come to Life

John Boese — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:53:58 +0000

Video projection has come a long way. Forget about the flat, white screen…that is so last decade. Now you can project a video onto almost anything. One medium that has become an increasingly popular place to put large scale images is on buildings. This started out as a purely artistic endeavor, but has gradually moved into the realm of advertising. Here is a video simulation showing what is possible:

My Top 5 Favorite Video Projections (with quotes from the developers):

Branchage Film Festival 2009
“Using cutting edge 3D Projection mapping techniques the Castle will be showered in light. At first seeming to simply illuminate, morphing over time as the entire architectural form of the castle distorts and morphs. Objects pour out the windows, the walls unravel and energy builds as this logic-defying spectacle captivates and questions your perception. This battle of light and the senses will expose the castle like never before!”

NordCom in Germany
“Pinwall: Facade becomes an interactive gaming board”

Samsung in Amsterdam
“In order to enforce the launching of the new Samsung 3D TV, NuFormer Projections developed an impressive 3D projection on the façade of the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. The projection was implemented on May 20 and lasted till May 22, 2010. Spectators were able to view the projection during these nights. Within one day quite a number of recordings were put on sites/portals such as Youtube and other news sites.”

BMW in Singapore
“This particular 3D projection was done on two identical, adjacent buildings of Sun Tec City in Singapore. The projections were quite large and fitted with matching audio. The entire projection consisted of 3D animation, based on the style and video footage of the latest BMW TV commercials. The projections were implemented on two nights and were part of a special event for the top executives of BMW Asia and their business associates.”

New Year’s Eve in Texas
“3D Projection mapping in the city of Sugarland, Texas for the 25th anniversary of the city.”

- John Boese

Who needs a short code? Now we’ve got **Zoove!

John Boese — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:14:09 +0000

Have you ever texted a keyword to a short code to get more information about a product or service? Yeah, me neither. It’s not that I haven’t been tempted (especially when I had a chance to win an iPad), but it’s a hassle to type on the iPhone’s tiny little keypad and I don’t even have a texting plan.

But what if it were easier to get the information? Maybe even as simple as making a phone call?

Introducing Zoove’s StarStar Service
StarStar is a mobile direct response service that makes getting information from advertisers easier. Instead of texting a keyword to a short code, all a consumer has to do is dial two stars (**) followed by a keyword (i.e. **PIZZA). Notice how I wrote “dial.” Yes, this system actually uses the voice dialing capability of the phone instead of the text messaging feature. The content the user receives back can be anything from text messages, multimedia messages (like photos and videos), links to websites, or even voice messages.

How can advertisers use it?
Advertisers can put a StarStar call-to-action in billboards, print ads, or even in TV and radio ads. Zoove’s website has a good example:

“A consumer might see a billboard promoting a new movie entitled ‘Fast’. The want to know more about this movie, so they dial **Fast on their mobile phone. Within seconds they receive a video movie trailer clip from the new film, the nearest theater where the film is playing (based on their present location), a mobile ‘coupon’ for a free box of popcorn, an easy-to-reply text option for them to rate the film after they see it and a link to the film’s Web site.”

Why is StarStar better than a short code?
From a consumer’s perspective, StarStar is an easier way to get information about products and services they are interested in. Admittedly, the most text-savvy consumers probably won’t see much benefit in calling over texting, but mainstream phone users will likely find StarStar easier to use. Another advantage is the voice message feature. When a consumer dials StarStar the advertiser can include a voice message in addition to sending back text or multimedia messages and links.

For advertisers, the main benefit of StarStar is potentially getting a higher redemption rate on their call-to-action. There is no guarantee of this, but if the action is easier to take, one would expect more consumers to do it. Another benefit for advertisers is that StarStar has a much simpler and quicker process to get a keyword for their system approved (days compared to weeks). Since this is a relatively new service, there is also the opportunity to lock down valuable keywords in your industry before your competitor does (like **PIZZA or **NEWS).

Should I stop using short codes and use StarStar instead?
As with any new technology, it’s best to test it out first. Try running an A/B test with a short code and StarStar call-to-action to see which one performs better. Though you should also keep in mind the mobile habits of your target audience. Text-crazed teenager may be more comfortable with texting to short codes whereas their parents may find StarStar easier to use.

- John Boese

The re-emergence of long-form video as a viable media channel

John Boese — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:39:56 +0000

by Guthrie Widman
By enabling more immersive brand integration in television advertising, the digital world could be the savior of the very medium it threatened to destroy.

Though advertisers are slow to accept it, there’s no denying that television consumption patterns are changing for good. No longer satisfied with the traditional model of schedule-driven programming transmitted through the set top box, consumers are leading the charge toward on-demand entertainment, viewable on the device of their choosing. This power shift is pervasive; consumers aren’t just passive viewers anymore, they’re also generators of content, co-creators of products, and – with social media – a media channel in their own right. But arguably one thing hasn’t changed: there will always be a place for long-form, studio-produced content. The difference is that monetizing this content is no longer as simple as selling 30-second spots to national advertisers. With anytime, anyplace consumption and the advent of Tivo, advertisers must adapt their methods for making an impression on and engaging with consumers. And to remain viable, content producers must do their part to facilitate this process.

Branded entertainment and product placement is nothing new, but thanks to the paradigm shift discussed above it has recently become more prevalent. In a desperate attempt to get noticed, advertisers have done a poor job of seamlessly integrating their brands into sets and storylines, and consumers are savvy to this. Therefore, in an attempt to make advertising less invasive, I foresee content producers working more collaboratively with agencies to infuse their video content with more dynamic and immersive ads that give consumers an increasing amount of control over the brand experience. While it’s hard to say exactly how this will play out, there is some precedent that might provide us with some clues.

On-screen merchandising?
Telemundo recently began licensing products (see below) for integration into the plot line of its telenovela, “El Clon.” These products are then made available on an eCommerce page at telemundo.com. While this is an isolated example, this collaboration between brands and a studio to create a more authentic branded experience is worth noting. It also points to a potential opportunity to market items without conspicuous brand identities (i.e. those without emblazoned logos or branded packaging).

AdSense for Video, Studio Edition?
Between Gum-Gum, Image Space Media, and Google-backed Pixazza, in-picture advertising (see below) is becoming increasingly ubiquitous. One problem, however, is the labor-intensive nature of the model. Image recognition technology has not advanced to a point where specific products that appear in a random image can be automatically spotted, tagged, and associated with an etailer. This must be done manually, which could represent a serious impedance to the growth of this medium, at least in the consumer-generated space. However the studio-generated space is different. As the Telemundo example demonstrates, this is a more controlled environment, where product integration is planned upfront.

Advertising as “special feature”?
Though it’s not yet widespread, the technology exists to embed “special features” directly into featured video content. As an example, the interactive trailer for Iron Man 2 features the traditional movie trailer, but at key points during playback the viewer is served up dynamic content which he/she can selectively choose to engage with while the trailer pauses. This was not a perfect execution – for example the interface distracts from the primary content – but it does point to an opportunity for advertisers to integrate themselves into video content in a much more dynamic, experiential way. And borrowing from the precedent established by the two examples above, there is even an opportunity to couple these brand experiences with offers to purchase merchandise. We could see this happen online in the very near future and, if the promise of interactive television ever comes to fruition, we could also see this play out on our television sets.

The iPad’s role in setting the stage
The introduction of the iPad will also play a large role in determining how long-form video content will be monetized in the coming years. The interaction users have with this device will begin to establish a contextual vocabulary that they will come to expect when using other devices and consuming other forms of media. While the tactile nature of the experience will be difficult to emulate without a multi-touch capability, the coupling of dynamic content with interactive marketing will become something consumers will become increasingly accustomed to and, once the kinks are worked out, embrace as a non-invasive alternative to traditional advertising.

2G Applications?! An emerging media channel in developing nations

John Boese — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:32:49 +0000

by Jeffrey Weinberg
While 3G mobile applications are ubiquitous in developed nations across the globe, the majority of the world’s mobile users live in developing nations with access to only 2G cellular networks and phones with little more than voice and SMS capabilities. According to the World Bank, in 2009 three-quarters of the world’s estimated 4 billion handsets were used in developing nations on 2G networks. While it is difficult to imagine a burgeoning app store running on a cell phone model from 2001, there is enormous opportunity for the creation of data applications that leverage cloud computing technology and 2G SMS based data transfer to enable a new media channel in the developing world.

The creation of useful 2G data applications for expanded access to media in developing countries relies on cloud computing to handle the heavy calculations that a data application requires, using SMS as a conduit for the information and simple application interfaces to handle user interaction. Applications running on such a stripped down platform could be as simple as a local news aggregator and as complex as a medical data repository. Because calculations, data storage and other advanced features are handled by servers “in the cloud” and sent via SMS, the 2G application only needs to handle basic text presentation. An early example of this type of 2G app, can be seen in Vodaphone’s M-PESA program in Kenya (M-PESA is Swahili for M-Money), which allows for money transfers via a 2G, SMS based application.

Another way in which 2G applications will act as an emerging media channel in the developing world involves the same concept of connecting cloud computing to 2G handsets, but relies on a new generation of cheap mobile phones that are capable of running more advanced applications and not just SMS interfaces. Vodaphone is the major driving force behind this application of 2G as it owns a number of cellular networks in the third world. The company recently released a 2G phone capable of running applications that is extremely low priced. To expand the availability of 2G media, Vodaphone teamed up with Opera Software in 2009 to develop a custom-made version of mobile browser Opera Mini, designed to give customers a high-quality mobile internet experience on affordable 2G mobile handsets. The Opera Mini browser uses cloud computing to compress internet pages by over 90% before dispatching it to the cellphone over the 2G network.

While 2G applications as an emerging media channel may sound like an oxymoron to Westerners, this technology has the potential to change the way people live, interact and consume media in the developing world.

Square: An mCommerce startup set for growth

John Boese — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:11:45 +0000

by Blake Stuchin
Square is a mobile point of sale (POS) system for mobile devices that enables individuals to accept credit card payments. In layman’s terms, it’s a little credit card reader that plugs into a phone’s headphone jack and syncs up with an app on your phone. Like a mobile, physical PayPal, but easier. You can find more details about how Square works here.

Square’s management team has the deep technology and entrepreneurial experience building products that scale that will be necessary for Square to grow. Square is run by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. The company’s investors and advisors include former Facebook CFO Gideon Yu (in his first investment as a member of Vinod Khosla’s Khosla Ventures), digg’s Kevin Rose, FourSquare’s Dennis Crowley, Napster founder Shawn Fanning, and, perhaps most influentially, Ron Conway (an investor in or an advisor to Google, Facebook, PayPal, and Twitter among many others).

Square was launched in December 2009. It is currently is in a trial run for a limited number of beta testers and currently works just in the United States on iPhones and iPads. To suggest that it will grow significantly in two years is not tough because growing from, say 100 beta testers to 1,000 users is 10x growth. But while that may be called “significant,” it won’t be game-changing unless it’s scalable at the level of, well, the other companies run by its founders and advisors. Given the expertise of this team at marketing products via both traditional and new media channels and growing those products from hundreds of users to millions, I believe that Square can be successful.

Mobile payments, and in particular micropayments, are already a fast growing source of barter and currency exchange, particularly in emerging markets where cash may be dangerous to carry and/or non-existent. In the developed world, mobile POS systems have existed for more than a decade but have always been cost prohibitive for individuals and many small businesses. Square, on the other hand, charges no monthly fees or activation fees, just a flat rate for transactions (2.75% + 15¢ for swipes and 3.5% + 15¢ for keyed-ins). The reader is free and small enough to carry around everywhere.

The merchant processing end of transactions has always been expensive and immobile for vendors. If you want to see mobile payment processing, walk into any Apple Store and use one of the modified iPhones with credit card readers affixed. But even those devices are heavy and singularly designed. The brilliance of Square is that it’s cheap and portable. Square can be used in farmer’s markets, with food trucks, or by friends lending each other money (or paying it back). As the founders describe it, “Square was born out of necessity. In February 2009, [co-founder] Jim McKelvey wasn’t able to sell a piece of his glass art because he couldn’t accept a credit card as payment. Even though a majority of payments have moved to plastic cards, accepting payments from cards is still difficult, requiring long applications, expensive hardware, and an overly complex experience. Square was begun to change all of that.”

The X factor here, of course, is security. Square’s team will have to convince the world that using Square is as safe as handing your credit card to a waiter in a restaurant or keying it in to a website online. Once safety is addressed, they’ll need to convince that same audience to sign up and get Square. It’s a massively tall order, but the team that’s involved is as qualified as any to pull it off. If they do, Square will grow massively in the next two years.

Introducing Dashmob: A spontaneous local deal alert service

John Boese — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:00:12 +0000

by Chandra Chantim
With the rise of Smartphone usage and technology advancements, companies and local business now have an additional outlet to increase their exposure to their target consumers. Consumers are always in the market for deals and as a result companies such as Gilt Group and Groupon have emerged to capitalized on this need. In addition to appealing to the rational side of the consumer, companies such as foursquare and Yelp have capitalized on the consumer’s social nature. What if there was a company that not only offered deals but also engaged social interaction all through the mobile channel? There is. A new startup, Dashmob, is attempting to create a 2-way dialogue by integrating deals and geo-targeting. The following is an excerpt from an interview with their New York based representative.

Chandra: What is Dashmob?
Dashmob: Dashmob is a geo-targeted deal service. The idea is to send deals to users who are interested in receiving deals from local business using geo-targeting technology. This service is [also] tapping into the popularity of geo-targeting social networking. The idea is the business has excess capacity or inventory that they want to fill or sell. The manager would send that alert only to people in a certain radius. For example, it is a Tuesday afternoon and a local bar is empty, the manager can elect to send out a message to Dashmob members in the area with a special promotional offer. Dashmob members in a certain radius will receive the alert and share with their friends and/or visit the bar.

Chandra: Is he service opt-in? and is it a text message?
Dashmob: The service is opt-in. Users can sign up with us on our website and download an iPhone app if they have the iPhone. Right now messages are pushed through text, iPhone alerts, and emails.

Chandra: What makes it different from your competitors?
Dashmob: There are not many competitors that are about deals but there are companies that offer deals but are not geo-targeting. Not many do push messaging. For instance Groupon offers a deal in each city but does not actively geo-target. Foursqaure offers the social networking side but has not fully built out a capability to push deals to users.

Chandra: How do you figure out how to get business and users?
Dashmob: We are targeting two cities at the moment, Chicago and New York. The idea is to start building user base and business base in one area. An example would be to take the West Village for instance. You get business to sign up in that area first. Ultimately you want to grow your base to the entire city and grow both the business and user base.

Chandra: Thanks for your time, one last question - What are some of the challenges you will be facing in the near future?
Dashmob: Our largest challenge is to gain critical mass. The hard part is growing both the business and user base. It’s like a chicken or the egg situation– users aren’t going to sign up unless you have businesses, and businesses aren’t going to sign up unless you have users. We just have to grow both a little at a time. The idea is to grow both bases until you get traction and the idea grows virally – through blogs, Facebook, etc. A challenge will be competition from more established companies such as Yelp that have existing relationships with local business and a large user base.

Dashmob has taken the first step into integrating promotions, geo-targeting, social networking, and mobility into one concept. This startup has potential to be successful but needs to gain traction quickly in order to build their user base and not lose out to more established technologies looking to provide what Dashmob currently is building. Overall, even if Dashmob is not successful, mobile couponing with integration of geo-targeting and social networking is something I anticipate growing over the next several years.

The mobile social network event of the year!

John Boese — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:01:29 +0000

It’s gearing up to be the mobile social “battle of the century.” For the first time, the founders of the major mobile social platforms will be sharing the stage and battling it out to see which platform will eventually win out in the marketplace. The Ogilvy Digital Labs proudly presents “The Battle of the Mobile Social Networks.”

In this corner…weighing in at 1 million users…the badge-awarding…mayorship-crowning…acquisition target of everyone…FOURSQUARE.

And in this corner…weighing in at 3 million users…the first kid on the block…and now the granddaddy of them all…LOOPT.

But that’s not all!

Also entering the ring are BrightKite, with its 2 million worldwide users, Buzzd, with its beat on what’s popular right now, and newcomer DoubleDutch, with its white-label application that let’s you create your own network.

Which mobile social platform will win out in this knock down, drag out brawl?

You can find out this Friday at 2pm, when the founders of these companies will take the stage and we’ll see who will be crowned the mobile social champion!

    When: Friday, May 7th from 2-3pm
    Where: Ogilvy Theater
    Who:
        •  Naveen Selvadurai: Co-founder of Foursquare
        •  Brian Marciniak: VP of Global Business Development Loopt
        •  Lawrence Coburn: CEO of DoubleDutch
        •  Nihal Mehta: CEO & Founder of Buzzd
        •  Rob Lawson: Co-founder of BrightKite

Advertising on the iPad: A Missed Opportunity (so far)

John Boese — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:16:51 +0000

The iPad offers a lot of opportunities for advertisers. Well, maybe not in terms of driving mass awareness and generating significant sales lifts, but certainly in terms of engagement, PR, and buzz. With just over a million iPads sold to date, the iPad may only be owned by 0.3% of the population, but the buzz reaches significantly more.

Some advertisers may view the iPad as just an oversized iPhone, but it offers them much more. The larger screen allows for a much richer and broader user experience. When developing ads for the iPad, marketers need to think less about impressions and clicks and more about engaging consumers through video, interactive content, and location aware features. Advertisers should consider deep integration into content, such as product integration into videos and video games. Marketers could also develop interactive catalogs or virtual store assistants to help consumers find products more easily.

The first wave of ads on the iPad are already upon us and they are…well…a bit underwhelming. They include interactive banner ads in media applications such as USA Today and standard 30 second pre-roll ads on video players. All I can say is…*yawn*. To truly take advantage of the iPad’s unique features, advertisers need to step up their game.

If you haven’t yet seen what these first ads look like, this video shows ads on some popular media apps:

After being less-than-inspired with these iPad ads, I looked around for brands that were leveraging the iPad in more interesting ways. Here are some examples I found:

Gap’s 1969 Stream
An interactive catalog where you can purchase items within the app, read tweets from designers, find the nearest store to you, and watch music videos.

Pampers’ Hello Baby
An interactive pregnancy calendar where you can see life-sized animations of the baby in the womb over time, chart week-by-week changes, and share pregnancy information on facebook.

Nike Football+ Team Addition
Comprehensive training program for soccer players and coaches including instructional videos, customizable programs, and game challenges.

Cadillac’s Cool Hunting
Daily curation of design, culture and technology news, aligned with associated stories of Cadillac’s new CTS Coupe and CTS-V Coupe vehicles.

Note: It’s also been reported that Sports Illustrated has been shopping around a cool ad demo. It has a Ford Mustang arcade-style driving game that uses the tilt-and-turn capability of the iPad. There is also a section that lets users try different paint colors and wheel styles on the car.

As advertisers and application developers become more familiar with the iPad and its capabilities, I’m sure we will see some really great integrations in the future. However, for now we are simply stuck with some uninspiring ads and left to consider the possibilities.

- John Boese

The next hot location-based platform: DoubleDutch

John Boese — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:33:40 +0000

TechCrunch deemed it one of the “25 Startups That Will Be Shaping the Next Web.” It’s been described as “Foursquare for the enterprise” and “Ning for mobile social networks.” After hearing a lot of buzz about DoubleDutch recently, I was intrigued enough with its potential to have a call with the founder and CEO, Lawrence Coburn. Here is what I found out.

What is DoubleDutch?
DoubleDutch is a white label, location-based iPhone app that works like Foursquare. The platform is similar to Foursquare in that you can find friends, check-in to locations, earn stickers (i.e. badges), and collect points. The difference with DoubleDutch is that it allows businesses, brands, and organizations to have their own app - customized by them and created solely for their audience. (Note: If you don’t yet know what Foursquare is, please read this post first)

Why is this interesting to marketers?
If you’re like me, it may have taken you a while to truly understand the value of Foursquare (or you may still be struggling to figure it out). Before I used Foursquare, I was getting tired of hearing my friends talk about how they got their “playa’ please” badge or how they were finally the Mayor of some hole in the wall bar. However, after a few weeks of trying it out, I was hooked. There is just something inherently fun about connecting with people, earning badges, and seeing your name “in lights” on a leaderboard.

DoubleDutch is important because it lets marketers tap into the same “secret sauce” that makes Foursquare so fun, addictive, and popular. It gives businesses an easy and affordable way to engage their audience when they are out-of-home and interested in connecting with others.

I still don’t quite “get it,” how about an example?
Imagine you’re at a conference. You just sat through another long presentation and you are trying to kill some time before the next panel. You haven’t seen anyone you know yet, so you are sitting alone and hoping to recognize a familiar face. Then you overhear some people talking about a mobile social app created specifically for the event and you decide to give it a try.

You launch the app and suddenly you see which of your friends and co-workers are at the event. You also see which presentation they are currently attending and which booth they last visited. With your remaining free time before the next session, you start participating in a game to try to win an iPad. You check-in at certain booths to uncover badges and gain points in the big sweepstakes drawing. You’re working your way up the leaderboard and hope to move up even further later in the afternoon. At the end of the day, you use the app to get reviews on local bars and restaurants. You then notice that that most of the people from the conference are currently at one bar in particular. You head over to that bar and meet up with your friends.

Who should consider using it?
DoubleDutch has done a good job of identifying potential businesses that could benefit from their app. Here are some of their ideas:

Primary Uses
Conferences: Attendees can connect and network in and around the event. They can also get access to local information about restaurants, bars, and points of interest.
Hotels: Guests can explore the hotel facilities and surrounding area. The app can also help guests traveling alone meet other guests staying at the hotel.
Universities: Students can explore their campus and nearby surroundings, and connect with each other in a secure, opt-in environment.

Other Uses
Sales forces can log their sales calls.
Companies and local governments can help their employees stay connected.
Music festivals can help attendees sync up at various stages.
Pick-up basketball players can self-organize around public courts.

Why couldn’t I just use Foursquare?
Foursquare is great mobile social platform, but it has limitations for business use. Unless you have very deep pockets, Foursquare isn’t going to make custom badges for your company. You also don’t have any control over the location-based information in their system. While it’s true that having a large existing base of Foursquare users is attractive, the customization of DoubleDutch makes it a better fit for many uses. With DoubleDutch, you can customize many key components of the app, including the name, logo, venue data, tabs, and stickers.

OK, I’m interested, what should I do next?
Give it a try! You can download a free demo of DoubleDutch in the iPhone app store (just search for “DoubleDutch”). Try it out today and think about how it can help you engage your target audience!

- John Boese

Holograms for Brands

John Boese — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:18:22 +0000

After recently writing about the use of 3D in digital signage and augmented reality, I thought I’d post about another form of 3D – holograms.

Brands are starting to use holograms to attract and engage consumers. They can be quite effective if your brand is having trouble getting noticed or if your product’s capabilities can best be described using images and animation. Holograms can be used for almost any type of product, but they seem to be an especially great fit for brands in the entertainment and technology industries.

If implementing holographic displays for your brand seems a bit daunting, there are companies that can help. Holographic design companies such as Musion, Activ8-3D, and Realfiction can help you launch a holographic-based execution, whether it be for an in-store display, store front signage, or at conferences and expos.

Holographic displays are still not widely used by brands, but to give you an idea of what’s possible I’ve tracked down some of the better executions:

In-Store Display
Holographic in-store displays can help bring a product to life. In this example, Realfiction places 3D animation on a physical coke bottle to create a visually engaging and entertaining experience.

Another example of in-store holography can be seen here. This execution is similar to the demo we currently have in our digital lab (feel free to stop by our lab to check it out!)

Store-front Signage
Sunsilk sponsored a hologram of the popular british singing group, Girls Aloud, on a store front in the UK. The hologram showed the groups typical pre-show antics, leading some viewers to think the group was actually behind the glass.

Product Launch Event
Samsung created a large-scale hologram for their new phone launch events in London, Singapore, and Dubai. The hologram was interactive and it moved around the stage at the command of the host.

Conferences and Expos
A leader in large-scale holograms, Musion, shows their live stage capabilities in this reel. Their Eyeliner system can bring dramatic effects to live events, such as concerts, conferences, and trade shows.

Just for Fun
I’m not sure how relevant this example is for marketers, but this is my all-time favorite use of a hologram. This is a live virtual performance of the animated music group Gorillaz singing with Madonna at the 2005 MTV music awards. Note that the first appearance of Madonna on the stage is a hologram as well.

- John Boese