Yes, yes, we know... we must be the only ones who do right? It would appear not! Now that Facebook has made the timeline feature compulsory, people have been going out of their way to create the most original and often funny timeline covers.
It's just another way to sell yourself and show off your creativity using social media. Many timeline covers feature recognisable faces from places such as film, the gaming world and even history making them another great tool for brands to encourage social sharing.
There are many timeline takes on the Sistine Chapel but this one has to be our favourite. We love anything featuring a cat and this one made us giggle whilst also making us slightly fancy a burger...
Another 80’s friend that we are always happy to find is Where’s Wally. Here we see his wannabes using the classic puzzle book to stand out from the crowd.
We have all wasted hours of our lives inexplicably killing pigs with small birds(?!). Here's one fan's Facebook based homage to the addictive Angry Birds.
But it’s not only individuals…
On demand music site, Spotify, has taken its Facebook timeline one step further and is giving its followers up to 1000 years of music history!
From posh seating to the smell of freshly baked potatoes, brands have been making fantastic and creative use of bus stop advertising recently. Ambient advertising undoubtedly creates a much higher impact than traditional poster advertising, dwell time is high and so there is a great opportunity to get passers by noticing your message. Here's some of our faves...
McCain Ready Baked Jackets
The innovative use of 'scent marketing' meant that the reach McCain achieved with this campaign was huge. In order to create a buzz around the launch of their new frozen Ready Baked Jackets, ten bus stops across the UK were fitted with 3D, fibreglass jacket potatoes which gave off heat and the aroma of a spud cooking in the oven. The shelters also dispensed money off coupons redeemable across multiple and independent retailers.
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka went about re-designing bus stops in Chicago. Each one represented one of their newest flavours – Absolut Twist, Absolut Bloody and Absolut Lemon Drop – and the design reflected each flavour's specific style and personality.
Fitness First
Those who chose to sit whilst wait at this bus stop in Rotterdam were surprised by having their weight displayed! The bench in the shelter is in fact a large weighing scale that then displays the individuals weight onto the electronic display embedded in the adjacent billboard. A great way of embarrassing people into joining your gym!
Coca-Cola New Grip Bottle
A great way to 'grab' attention... This bus stop used velcro which would get caught on peoples clothes, they would then turn around an be confronted by the Coca-Cola new grip bottle messaging.
Mr Kipling
Surely the winner? Taking the whole ambient advertising concept to new heights and turning it into an unmanned sampling activity is Mr Kipling and his generous bus stop ad that gave away thousands of Angel Slices to some very happy passers by. creating a brand experience out of a traditional advertising medium- genius.
It’s that time of year and everyone is a little weary of the news they read on April 1st. Is it an April fools? Is it not? Here are some of the best April fools by brands that we’ve seen around the web.
Innocent Smoothies: Mangoes and Marmite
Innocent Smoothies reveal plans to launch a twist on a classic with their limited edition flavour: Mangoes and Marmite. With it being 2 of your 5-a-day what better way to start your day then with this classic twist.
Nicky Waymark from Marmite, said: "The idea of having Marmite and fruit together is a constant talking point on our Facebook page so when fans began calling for an Innocent smoothie, we decided to create something you would yeast expect".
Hungary Hippos for iPad
“In the late 1970s, a phenomenon swept the sporting world. A new game fell on the scene, one that created an international stir, world exhibitions, and a fever that can only be described as a "feeding frenzy." And that game was Hungry Hungry Hippos. Well, it's time to update this classic into the now with the Electronic Hungry Hungry Hippos iPad Game. Fully endorsed by the IHHHA (International Hungry Hungry Hippos Association), this game is the Hippo event of the century!
Sadly this isn’t real, although looking at ThinkGeek’s previous April fools such as the Chocolate Zombie Bunny it might not be too long before this could be a reality.
Google Maps 8-bit edition
We’re loving Google Maps 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment Systems (NES). According to the official Google blog “With Google Maps 8-bit, you can do all the things you already do on regular Google Maps. Search for famous landmarks and sites around the world. Take an epic journey with 8-bit Street View. Get detailed directions to avoid dangerous paths, and battle your way through a world of powerful monsters and mystic treasures. As the first NES cartridge to be released in nearly 18 years, we’re working hard to make Google Maps 8-bit for NES available in the Google Store as soon as possible. A mobile version for Game Boy is also under development.
Lush’s new limited Edition ‘Golden Showers’ Shower Gel
So then, 'Golden Showers' anyone? Apparently it’s a refreshing, tangy and glittering gel (golden lustre) that leaves a unique scent on the skin! They recommend to really enjoy this product to share your shower with another. Remember what your mum told you about yellow snow... The same applies here!
Although it seems there maybe a few others out there from this picture with such products as ‘You’ve Been Banged! (You’ve Been Mangoed and Fizzbanger scented lotion with copper lustre)’ and ‘Strip Your Stockings (Black Stockings scented lotion with lustre and glitter).
Kodak’s 3D Printer: Print live kittens!
3D printing is a reality, but if you fell for this one on Sunday morning we think it might be best if you head back to bed for some more sleep! Apparently you can choose from 12 breeds and have your own cute little kitten in your hands in store in minutes.
Kodak have also already expanded this idea with “Select locations will soon be featuring a limited Easter promotion (Buy 2 Bunnies, get 10 free!). A nationwide launch of Bring a Puppy Home for the Holidays! is slated to begin on November 1st." There’s even talk of large format printing with polar bears and elephants...
Jessops Balattro noPod – the worlds ‘first’ hover tripod...
And last but not least, defying the laws of gravity isn’t a leap to far with Jessops new ‘noPod’ hover tripod which hovers above its base whilst you take photos. Apparently it uses the same technology as high speed trains!
We live in an increasingly visual age where every second millions of people are documenting their lives through photos and uploading them to social networking sites. We seem obsessed with not only sharing pictures and videos from yesterdays BBQ in the park and Mia’s 1st Birthday Party, but capturing every bit of life we love from the ‘cute’ T-shirt we just saw at the market, to the tasty cakes that have just been delivered to the office. So with this visual sharing explosion, is Pinterest the answer when communicating our lives in videos and pictures? Is Pinterest the latest fad or will it become the latest must have online marketing tool for your brand?
The low down. So what is Pinterest and how does it work? Pinterest is a pin board style, social photo sharing website which allows its users to ‘pin’ images of ‘interest’ to the site using videos, photos or discussions. These ‘pins’ can then be organised into individual boards much like a virtual scrap book. Anything can be found from ‘design I love’ to ‘stunning holiday destinations’. It’s simple to use as ‘pins’ can be uploaded by the individual or 'pinned' directly from websites and blogs using a handy ‘pin it’ plug in. Linked with Facebook and twitter, users can like a ‘pin’, or, much like a re-tweet, ‘repin’ a ‘pin’ to their pinboard thus continuing the image sharing journey.
So how can Pinterest work for my brand? They say that a picture paints and thousand words and what better way to shout about your new product or latest experiential advertising campaign then with an image that says it all. With the ‘pin it’ plug in, an image can be pinned in a matter of seconds with a witty or cliff hanger style caption if desired. It’s not just us that agrees that Pinterest is the way forward. Several brands have lead the with Pinterest digital campaigns. Kotex’s‘Woman’s Inspiration Day’ campaign featured personalised gifts that were sent out to 50 inspiring women whom they located on Pinterest. These gifts were created from inspiration from their Pinterest boards and sent them a personalised gift (with Kotex included). All the women had to do to receive their exclusive gift was to repin their gift. Nearly 100% of women posted about their gift on Facebook, Pinteret and Twitter. From the 50 gifts sent out, the Brand achieved 2,284 interactions and 694,853 total impressions.
Fashion brand Guess has also jumped on the bandwagon with their “Guess my colour Inspiration” by challenging its fans to create boards based on one of four spring denim colours: “Noir Teal,” “Hot House Orange,” “Red Hot Overdue” and “New Plum Light.” Participants were told to title their boards “Guess My Color Inspiration” and re-pin their colour ambassador image with at least five more colour images. The four winners were selected by style bloggers.
Guess 'Colour Me Inspired' campaign
Even 'Mad Men' is reaching out to its audience through a retro 60’s styled Pinterest board promoting the release of the hotly anticipated fifth season of the show.
The Mad Men Pinterest board
Pinterest seems to be on it's way to becoming a huge hit with the number of unique visitors to the site growing by 886% in just 6 months, with over 16.23 million users (via Branding Magazine).
What better way to shout about your brand or product then letting your consumer do it for you? Linking with Facebook and Twitter its makes it incredibly easy to share about the things you like with countless others to. Go on, try it- we're sure you'll become just as addicted as we are! Follow us at http://pinterest.com/sketchevents/
One of our Account Execs, Charlotte battled through the busy crowds in our local Starbucks this morning to get her hands on her free Latte. The Latte give-away has been the centre of a massive campaign for Starbucks aiming to make the brand more friendly. You give them your name in exchange for the freebie making the morning coffee run a lot more personal. Starbucks’ promise ‘to make your coffee just the way you like it’ because ‘after all, it’s personal’ got us all thinking about how easy it is to create brand advocacy.
It’s all about human brands and random acts of kindness...
With Social Media connecting people and brands all over the world, it has become apparent that brands need to engage with their consumers on a deeper personal level. In a time where Facebook has taken to viewing ‘brands as people’ by allowing them to post directly onto user’s newsfeeds (Marketing Week) it is not simply enough to be a faceless corporate brand. As trendwatching.com points out, it is all about creating a human interface with character and personality and therefore experiential activities are only truly successful when they manage to create a deeper emotional connection.
The human brand with character and personality, according to trendwatching.com, embodies traits that include random acts of kindness and activities based around generosity and giving suggesting that Starbucks was on the right track with this morning’s latte give-away.
Here are some other brands that have recently caught our attention with their acts of kindness:
We love Kinder Bueno’s ‘Try Me Free’ Campaign which offers you the money back for your Bueno purchase and suggests ‘It's the perfect excuse to treat yourself to another!’ – We Agree!
Mr Kipling has created an exceedingly good experiential activity (come on now- we couldn’t resist!) which will make waiting for the bus an experience you will never forget. Bus shelters in locations such as London, Nottingham and Glasgow will not only emit the smell of an Angel Slice, it will give you one too - surely sampling at its best! (via the DRUM )
When talking about brands that have individual character and personality it seems hard not to mention Ben & Jerry’s who are known for their strong social mission as well as their yummy ice cream. In the last few days it was announced that they have joined ranks with gay rights organisation Stonewall and renamed their Apple Pie flavour ice cream, Apple-y Ever After, in support of equal rights to marriage for same sex couples. Read the full story here: http://www.benjerry.co.uk/our-values/appleyeverafter
Humans have flaws and so do brands...
Easily accessible online reviews and comments are quick to point out the flaws in brands marketing strategies but, as trendwatching.com points out, this adds to breaking down the corporate façade. Nobody is perfect and neither are brands.
And so back to Starbucks- Their personalised coffee cups don’t always go down well elsewhere as you can see here... http://thatsnotmynamestarbucks.tumblr.com/but we are staying open minded for now (and most definitely going back to load up a new Starbucks card and receive our next free coffee!)
This Experiential pop up bar was created for much loved Mexican beer brand Corona. The aim was to create a slice of summer in the heart of London in mid December- no easy feat!
To create an indoor outdoor space we built an 11m geodisic dome on London's Southbank, just next to the OXO tower and overlooking St. Pauls and the City across the river.
The dome taking shape...
Installing real grass, tall palms, lime trees, a huge white up-lit bar and luxury beach furniture we were able to create the sense of leaving winter behind and stepping into summer in a luxury beach resort somewhere far, far away...
From the concrete Southbank to a lush and green paradise.
Tropical temperatures inside the dome meant that bar staff were serving customers ice cold Corona in shorts in December! We also diffused the space with the scent of fresh lime to create a full sensory experience.
Ice cold Corona all weekend long...
By day, visitors could escape the Christmas shopping crowds in tropical surroundings and by night the dome was spectacularly lit up and surrounded by the twinkling lights of the Southbank whilst guests enjoyed the summer vibes..
The event was a fantastic success- people loved the dome and we had some great crowds in over the 3 days. Check out the video to see some of the public's reactions.
Video Projection Mapping is fast becoming the technique to use for companies to get their message across. In the last year alone major brands like Nike, Bentley and Nokia have all used the latest technology to market new models.
Explained in its simplest terms Video Projection Mapping is all about projecting images and moving images onto 3D objects. The exciting new technique has the ability to turn any surface – a building, river, even a human being into a compelling display.
The latest ideas and technology involved in Video Mapping allows advertisers and marketers to bring a whole new dimension into their campaign, and in the right location can create a unique buzz that no other platform can do.
This buzz has attracted many brands to jump on the video mapping bandwagon...
Nike recently launched their Jordan Melo M8 in spectacular fashion by projecting onto water fountains.
Hyundai created the stunning effect of the new Accent driving on a wall, highlighting their new slogan "New Thinking, New Possibilities'.
H&M's flagship store in Amsterdam came to life for its launch, when a mixture of fairytale images were projected onto the historic building.
These projections never fail to cause a huge buzz, with passers by forced to stop and stare at the technological wizardry, with many staying for duration of the 5, 10, 15 minute show, or however long it may be. This is what sets it apart from many other media platforms and why it looks set to be the future of marketing.
