YouTube connection to shopping

September 28, 2010

YouTique

French Connection has just launched a new online shopping experience hosted on YouTube. YouTique is set to become the new way of shopping online for the brand, and it’s another interesting, digitally focused, channel retailers are finding to sell us their goods.

In a way YouTube is the perfect channel to bring us a rich, engaging shopping experiences. You get the engagement and connection of the presenter, the entertainment and richness of the video experience and finally the ease of the online shopping transaction. Part TV shopping channel, part daytime TV experience, part eCommerce solution, YouTique seems to work well, and does add to the over-all online shopping experience.

YouTique (developed by Poke) allows the user a good amount for social connection through YouTube’s standard comments features, as well as sharing on Facebook, Twitter and embed codes allowing placement into individual blogs.

It’ll be interesting to see how the channel plays out, and what revenue streams it brings in for the brand. With retail being placed directly in the likes of Facebook and on various mobile channels (commented on here and here), it’s looking like the shopping experience is again going to be the place the see the latest and greatest in digital innovations.

tags: Online

Razorfish – JCPenney iAd

September 26, 2010

Apple’s iAd network has been live now for a little while, and it’s going to be interesting to see how much of the mobile ad market the channel takes up – quite a lot if you listen to Apple’s predicted revenue streams. What is for sure though, is that mobile advertising is evolving to be ‘the (next) big thing’ and will very much impact everyone’s lives (mobile or not) in the more than near future. Marketeers need to pick up on this trend and start to plan their digital advertising strategies around this obvious fact.

So, what’s going to make a successful mobile (iAd or not) advertising experience?

Well, it’s not going to be any different from any other channel: A big idea + Relevant to it’s target + Creatively executed = Positive results.

Razorfish – Emerging Experiences have started the ball rolling with their work for JCPenney. The highly interactive ad shows us some of the possibilities of what really engaging mobile advertising can become. In this ad Razorfish show us the potential of creating a mobile experience that holds the attention, engages the scenes and, along the way, allows the viewer to purchase the odd item or two.

With such experiential technologies now packed into our smart phones, I can see many a boring train or bus journey turning into an enchanted, exhilarating shopping experience.

With the mobile ad market really taking off, retailer have a ready made, captivated audience just sitting there waiting to be sold to. All they need to do is follow the simple equation: A big idea + Relevant to it’s target + Creatively executed = Positive results. Static or Mobile you’ll be on to a winner.

tags: Advertising,Motion

Creative feet

September 23, 2010

satorisan

So, if you don’t have the celebrity of Nike or originality of Adidas how do you go about promoting your funky sports wear?

Well, I’ve touched on Converse keeping it Real before, now Satorisan have taken it to a creative space with their very arty site Name That Sneaker. The site takes you on a creative journey through a new world, where you’ll discover the birth of the brands 27 unnamed sneakers.

With ‘user generated content’ being such a buzz phrase at the moment, Satorisan have taken the concept one stage further – by asking their fans to name the entire collection of cool trainers.

Viewers to the site are invited to take the ‘Trip’ by naming the 27, with the most populate winning out. One of the elements I am liking is the individual touch – Satorisan have incorporated a nice feature where viewers can use Twitter to create a personalised animated experience.  Overall the site really does manage to encapsulate the brands personality, and the interaction gives the whole experience a very personal feel.

tags: Design,Flash

Tip top from Tipp-ex

September 21, 2010

tipp_ex

What makes great web advertising these days?

The innovative use of an already great channel? – Yes. Doing something new in an over done world? – Yes. Surprising the viewer and grabbing their attention? – Yes. A really great idea? – Defiantly!

Buzzman shows us one such great idea with their work for Tipp-Ex. Their brilliant viral is fully integrated into YouTube and allows the viewer to use their imagination to discover over 50 funny movies.

And it’s not just me that thinks a great idea is what you need to create a great web ad these days – 8,439,029 others seem to agree. Not bad for a little bit of white paint!

tags: Advertising,Motion

Virally cute

September 16, 2010
YouTube Preview Image

One question that seems to be constantly kicked around by all sorts of brands these days is ‘What’s gonna go viral?’ The answer is perhaps one of the most elusive in marketing today.

I’ve heard people talk methodologies, I’ve read the user generated debate, I’ve seen some that take off and some that start then flop. So, do I have the answer? The path to socially spread marketing nirvana? Err, No. Sorry.

But looking at this new one from The Viral Factory for Samsung and its new Galaxy 850 phone – I’m thinking it’s got to look home made but then surprise you with a whole bunch of post production, it’s got to make you laugh and it’ll do you no harm at all if it stars a very cute little girl. Nice work.

tags: Marketing,Motion

Play the lottery of life

September 9, 2010

saveTheChildren

Ever wondered who you’d be if you where born in a different time and place?

With their campaign site ‘The Lottery of Life‘, Save the Children show us just that.

Visit this great site – created by B-Reel and Lowe Brindfors – and you’ll find out all about your new life. Connect via Facebook and spin the ‘wheel of life’ and you’ll discover who you are, where you come from, as well as your new life opportunity – your typical illiteracy level, your chances of being in poverty and whether corporate punishment will be unleashed on you if you do something wrong.

The site used a mix of social networks including Flickr, YouTube and Google Maps to really get you learning about the new you – your new place of origin, what you can expect from life and the problems you may face.

I found the rewarding experience of getting to know myself an immensely engaging way to understand the Save the Children message – it brings the plight of our global children into sharp focus, and highlights what a difference the lottery of life can make.

Once you discover who you could have been, you get the chance to do something about it, and help those who could have been your best friends. Then, the real you can Tweet or Post about who you might have been – spreading the word and helping more of our children in need.

tags: Life,Online

How many friends do you really have?

September 7, 2010

how_many_friends

Sometimes you get the feeling that certain people (we all know one – and if you don’t, chances are it’s you!) like to use their social network collection of ‘friends’ more as a display of their social prowess, than a real need to stay connected to 983 ‘contacts’.

How Many Friends Do You Know will sort out how well connected you really are! The site links up with your Facebook profile to present you with a set of profile pictures of your ‘friends’ and challenges you to put a name to the face. Your task is to beat the countdown clock into naming the people you say you know. Completing the circle, your score can be published back to Facebook or you can Tweet it!

tags: Online

by____ Gavin Johnson