Interactive Cinema Ads

Brazillian interactive cinema ad for Fiat using text messages. More details on the MIT Advertising Lab blog

Interesting idea, and something we’ve had discussions about before. But I always felt it was really irresponsible to do something in cinemas using mobile phones. And a bit odd too. When I go into a cinema the first thing I do is turn my phone off. Even before I get into the screen. So to turn it back on again to text an advert, only to have to turn it off again straightaway feels like a chore. Be really interesting to know what the response rates are like.

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Sony Ericsson and Blogger/Google

sony ericcson w950Sony Ericsson are adding Blogger support and Google Search to their new phones – nice tie-up for all concerned I reckons. Scheduled for Q2 this year.

Some nice views of the new Sony Ericsson handsets on their Cebit 2006 site. My current favourite is the W950.

Directions on your iPod

Ipod directionsMash-up alert, it’s not perfect, but an interesting service combo nonetheless. Get directions onto your iPod (video, photo or nano). http://www.ipodiway.com/. Unfortunately is US and Canada only (for now).

Mobile Marketing

Yesterday I spoke at the Mobile Marketing 2005 conference. I actually quite enjoyed it which surprised me.

It was a tricky old thing. From speaking to lots of people later it’s obvious that there’s a lot of different levels of knowledge and experience within the sector. And there’s still a lot to play for. Which is inspiring.

What’s less inspiring is quite how ‘old media’ a lot of the thinking in the industry seems to be. Especially from the network operator side. It’s almost as if the web and open source hasn’t even registered. The networks (and a load of ‘feeder’ companies around them) seem to want to control and own everything. Their value chain seems to rely on them owning and delivering content. Much like a properly old-school ISP.

Is it really economically impossible for a network to detach itself from all their ‘value added services’? I hate using that term (especially when the services in question add no discernible value in my world). If I was offered a network that just charged a data rate but let me go where I wanted, using whatever device I wanted, I’d be in like a shot. And hoovering up mobile bandwidth. They may not get me paying 50p to watch a movie trailer from them (I would absolutly never do such a thing by the way). But they would get the data charges.

Or am I just being naive?

Until they sort themselves out I’m hoping for a massive wi-fi cloud and using VOIP on mobile wi-fi devices. Fuck the mobile networks. (Note to mobile networks (especially any of our clients): I didn’t really mean that completely).

ConQwest

I’m doing a talk at the Mobile Marketing conference next week. And in my researching of interesting mobile marketing ideas came across this amazing promotion for Qwest in the US.

It’s a city-wide treasure hunt using semacodes
– nothing particularly innovative there – we’ve pitched mobile treasure hunts lots of times (and quite honestly never been 100% sure of the idea).

But…

Make it a big contest between ‘schools’, and throw in some huge big inflatable creatures and hey presto! You’ve got a winner.

Even if the participation rates are tiny. Who could fail to notice groups of people running round a city with 20 foot high animals, and subsequently have conversations about it. Nice!

iPod Nanos on Tokyo Metro

ipod nanos in tokyoFrom Cult Of Mac Blog – iPod Nanos on Tokyo Metro – This is a great (if a little expensive) promotion. Having said that, this is one of those ads that creates so much residual ‘buzz’ around it that the initial investment is totally worth it. I’ve just finished the excellent book Buzzmarketing: Getting People to Talk About Your Stuff. Hence I’m temporarily obsessed with ‘buzz’. I’ll write a review of the book soon. In the meantime, have a look at the Buzzmarketing.com site.

I’m especially loving the use of photo message QR codes on the back of the dummy Nanos (in case you don’t know these are like barcodes that you photograph with your mobile – all the rage in Japan apparantly).

Mk Gr8 T

SMS kettle: best invention ever? – maybe not, but it is the invention that we’ve been waiting for! Ever since the launch of Teabuddy.com we’ve been waiting to complete the loop, to enable the site to turn the kettle on. Now we have it…

Where can I buy one? (update: according to shinyshiny they’re hitting the shops in January.) Tea-riffic!