Volkswagen has done it again! This is simply a brilliant example of how to create influence using social media. As a DDB’er I can safely say that the VW Fun Theory does everything right when it comes to applying the DDB Influence Springboard (a proprietary set of tools to create influence in this new world of media). As a strategic planner I must add VW is one of my favorite brands. The VW Philosophy, their unique tone of voice is sheer genius. The strategy is so straightforward and yet so powerful. It is translated into three simple words – VW is going to be honest, human and intelligently humorous in everything it is going to do. Over the years, VW has delivered on this promise in all it’s advertising and won innumerable accolades for it. Now it’s taking it to a whole new level. This idea brings the element of collaboration to the mix by making audiences interact and live the brand promise (or Brand Conviction as we say at DDB). At the same time it is engaging the advocates to participate and contribute to the concept. The concept itself is fairly simple. You can change people’s behavior for the better if you can make it fun for them. The video below is one example of how people were made to use the staircase instead of the escalator by adding that element of fun! Just so you know this video has had more than 8 million views on YouTube to date. Need I say more! See for yourself!
Ladies and Gentlemen, the telecom revolution is underway! And it’s happening faster than you can imagine! It is simply fascinating when you think about all the things you can do with your mobile phone. I have to say at the cornerstone of this revolution is actually the iPhone – the genius of Steve Jobs. First he masterminded the ultimate mobile device then he empowered individuals (I mean anybody), anywhere in the world to develop an application and put it on the App store. This has led to some crazy developments and one can expect even crazier ones in times to come! In this post, I would like to bring your attention to one such app! Imagine remotely starting your car with your iPhone, turning on the air conditioning before you get in on a hot summer’s day or the heater in this case (see video below) and doing it all from far far away! Check it out!
Impressive isn’t it! Well this one is out already! In fact I just downloaded the free app! But that’s all I am going to be doing for now! Besides the fact that I need the a $499 Smart Start module to be fitted in my car, the system is not available outside the US as yet (apparently it needs to be configured to work with the GSM networks available in a specific country!) Close but no cigar!
iDrive
Now let’s take this a little further! How about not only starting your car with your iPhone, but also driving it! Yes that is correct! Remember James Bond in “Tomorrow Never Dies”. Well this app makes 007 look old school! Check out iDrive. This one is not out yet! I don’t think it would be coming out anytime soon either, but a prototype already exists! Check out the video below and get ready to be blown away!
The concept of storytelling in advertising is a concept as old as advertising itself! Yet so many TV Commercials produced today ignore this wondrous and entertaining approach to communicating a message. Lately I came across two very good TV commercials that tell a story about a brand and do so beautifully! One is for Jameson Whiskey and the other is for Topline Kiss Chewing Gum. Have a look!
What can we learn from this? As a planner I would say the Topline Kiss is genius at multiple levels! I think the idea that someone thought of a gum for kissing is brilliant in itself. It is unique and puts everything in a whole new space. The second leap comes at the strategy level. The task here was to simplify and focus on the benefit. I think somewhere in the creative brief there must have been a key insight which went something like this, ‘A great kiss is long, intense, never-ending!’ and thus the idea of “for unbreakable kisses” must have been born! Kudos to all those involved! It would be great to get the creative brief from the team behind this!
As for the Jameson Whiskey ad! I think it is a very simple ad based on the “Taste” benefit. Something which we have seen in at least a million other commercials. What makes it stand out is the dramatization of this benefit in 30 seconds and doing so in a way unique to the brand. The characterization of the John Jameson! I wonder what the brief would have been like. I believe all the credit here goes to the creative team to crack an over-used benefit of taste in an interesting way!
Juniper Research says that 1 out of 6 mobile phone users would carry an NFC equipped handset by 2014. That is really something! I think NFC is a very cool piece of technology. Simply stated it would allow us to use our mobile phones like a key to activate object, systems, content etc. or make payments just by bringing the mobile device in close proximity to a trigger point, which is usually within 4-8 inches!
NFC which stands for Near Field Communications is a technology that has been around for a while. In fact it has been widely used in Japan. However like most cutting edge use of mobile technology the rest of the world is still playing catch-up.
Another reason to believe that the time for NFC has come! Apple is onto it! When they are onto something you know it’s going to be cool and breakthrough! I just read that Apple has patented an NFC device for use with touch screens in a mobile phone and an audio player device. So don’t be surprised if a future iPhone model is equipped with an NFC device! In fact someone has already developed a prototype model! Check it out!
Finally after much deliberation I have setup my blog! For the first post I wanted to share a Talk from TED by Rory Sutherland! Oh this guy is amazing! For one he is from Ogilvy. The agency where it all started for me some 10 years ago as I began my journey as a Strategic Planner. Ogilvy has a special place in my heart as it laid the foundations of my career and played a big role in helping me do what I do today. Anyways, Rory’s talk is insightful and highly entertaining. It is a must watch for anybody who has anything to do with branding and advertising. I see a pattern between what he talked about and what Dan Ariely covered in his book “Predictably Irrational”. They both have touched upon ‘Behavioral Economics’ a subject that really intrigues me. I have never been a big fan of Economics but this field looks at things from a very human angle. A whole lot of insights for us planner species. It’s a subject I will definitely be exploring further in days to come! God Willing! For now enjoy this!
