I stumbled on these pictures of an Ikea campaign they did in the Paris subway (hattip to @fjfonseca).
My initial reaction was a very positive oh well that’s cool and different. But then I remembered it wasn’t different. Ikea has done this in several cities before and really its a it old school. While it is a good little stunt to generate some PR and blog posts, how is it really elevating the brand or increasing brand sales?
The most obvious social additive would have been incorporating some QR codes on the physical items as well as the signage. A user could scan the item (or enter a code depending on the demo’s smart phone use). They would receive more information (price, dimensions, other colors), the actual catalogue or web page or immediately be able to order it from their local Ikea.
To make it more social Ikea could have used those special codes (either text or scannable) for use in Social Gaming. There are plenty of FB games that allow you to build and furnish your house, farm, etc and while I’m unsure of their popularity in France, I’m sure they have something similar.
Come on guys step it up…even just a little. Couches in the subway are cool but just not enough these days.
Skittles “Mob the Rainbow” is my favorite Skittles attempt to stay relevant – learn about it here. While their social site redo was a flash in the pan with an age restriction I just didn’t understand, their quirky spots adon’t make me crave their candy but this social campaign might just make me a fan of the brand. Its nice to see an agency other than Crispin + Porter pulling something like this off – good work TBWA/Chiat/Day.
Mob the Rainbow’s first act was to bestow thousands of valentine cards to a lucky meter maid check out the video below. No details on the mob’s next mission, but I will definitely be checking in.
Oh but one thing the twitter button on your FB page shown above does not work and your link to youtube goes to a channel that doesn’t actually have any videos….you might want to update those or just remove the links from your profiles.
Love the “Please don’t” section of TheSixtyOne.com. Sometimes the easiest way to create a brand and an online presence that people want to be a part of is through honest copy that fits your site’s personality. Branding does not have to be complicated, especially not if you are doing it right.
And if you haven’t checked out TheSixtyOne.com you should do it now and let them know I referred you – user name is erinnorton.
Two recent creative executions on standard media placements that I think are brilliant.
Kaiser on Pandora
Note the “Fitness Radio” and “Relaxation Radio” clickable on the right whcih launched playlists into your pandora. Great integration with the media placement.
Hoarders’ Taxi Cab
I’d love to see this executed across outdoor placements (billboards, bus shelters, etc) with random hoarded stuff differeing in each placement.
I saw the above banner and was horrified, so obviously I clicked. Then I arrived at one of the most entertaining sites I’ve been to as a digital marketer in a while. I just wish I knew who did the site or what real company it was promoting…PointRoll is mentioned once but that’s it.
I’m not going to spoil the fun, go check it out here. Make sure you browse the site a bit for some awesome quotes like:
“We have 100% delivery. Sometimes you don’t even need a computer!”
“Our motto, “Keep it in the box,” (you know, the banner!) ensures our staff of talented clickologists never strays from what we know works: The highest standard for the lowest common denominator. It’s what we were founded on. It’s what works.”
Innovation is more than just the shiny new technology, its figuring out how to take the media we are accustomed to and finding new wyas to make it relevant. Office Max does it right with the below bag.
It was in the coupon section of the Sunday newspaper, making saure that it could be seen by all. Not only does it include the details of the sale, it is required to bring in store, ensuring a valid count of all bags utilized. The bag is then carried home for others to see and especially in SF probably reused somewhere in the household.
Like most people in the mid-twenties, my first email address was through AOL and I have not actually used it since 2002. I do occasionally check in on it either out of bordeom/curiosity or to open a password retrieving email in which case as soon as I find what I’m looking for I delete everything else. I have not provided that email to anyone in at least 6 maybe even 7 years which is why I am always so surpised at the volume of emails I receive. This is a snap shot of what I saw when I logged in tonight. Oy vey. Does no company actually clean this list?!
1.Some senders delivered mail to my stale inbox EVERY DAY. I’m looking at you Gregory Shoes and GOP US media.
2. Any list I actually signed up for was at least 5 years ago. FIVE YEARS. If a user has not opened, let alone clicked on your email in five years, purge them from your list. And Delias I don’t doubt I signed up for your emails, probably when I was a sophomore in high school because you make pre-teen clothes. A decade later I am not a viable customer. You can remove me from your list.
3. When an email starts with gibberish such as “dedlekis” spells calls as “Clalls” and contains punctuation like a 13 yr old on Myspace “WEEkendSAleOnline”, 99% of the time its spam.
4. The little certified mail emblem (see blue circle) if an email from Carmax which I definitely did not sign up for. What is the point of a certified sender list if those certified senders still send spam emails?
5. My favorite of all emails is from unknownsender@unknowndomain. Hey AOL how did this one get past your spam filters as legitimate email? And while we are on the subject of spam, how is it you let 893 emails through and only caught one of them as spam? Are you even trying?
My top secvn 2010 superbowl ad favorites. Probably more automotive than other lists, but they were good spots and I have a soft spot in my heart for automotive accounts.
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