Web 2.0 Summit 2010: Mary Meeker, "Internet Trends"

Interesting presentation by Mary Meeker from Morgan Stanley on the 10 things companies should be thinking about if they want to utilize the digital media potential to its fullest. The presentation is supported by a number of statistics and market research that paints a clear picture of which companies are leading and why. It is definitely worth the time to watch:

Wieden + Kennedy's Skype Christmas Dinner

Here is an example of the integration of digital into the way companies and employees interact. A creative way to keep everyone together during the holidays and give them an opportunity to visit their respective homes. An added extra was that the participants could move the screens and cameras with a turn of their had thanks to an integrated motion sensor in the camera.

Social Media in B2B Context

Lee Odden is the CEO of TopRankMarketing.com and writes a regular TopRankBlog.com. This interview was recorded at the Search Engine Strategies Conference in Chicago, in October 2010. In this interview he talks about how social media can be used effectively for B2B businesses.

Social Media Taken on a Personal Level

This year the people at the Cannes festival wanted to do something different. They performed a unique social experiment which put David Perez in an unusual situation. He was to perform every task that people posted on his twitter page. His determination and this set up led David to do all kinds of crazy stuff as jumping with a parachute, getting a tattoo and getting a crazy haircut. The idea and execution was developd by global agency Leo Burnett to increase interest in the Cannes Wildfire conference.

Prime Example of Customer-Created Content

With the changing digital landscape one of the main trends that has been observed is the evolution of customer-created content. Consumers are now empowered to do pretty much whatever they want to express themselves, support or slant the brands they care about. Here is an example of a person that combined his passion for gaming and Lego and created this impressive piece of stop-motion animation.

Digital Translation's Next Level

Here's a video showcasing Apple's new app called WordLens that is capable of translating from Spanish to English and vice-versa instantly as soon as the came is exposed to the text or sign. The added cool thing about it is that it tries to match the appearance and font of the translated text and make it seem very real by replacing the text and putting in the translation. Have a look :) Seems incredibly useful...

How Online Video Helps Drive Global Innovation

Outstanding TED talk by Chris Anderson on how he sees the development of video and the Internet. Furthermore, he argues that online video has given birth to a unique practice - "crowd accelerated innovation" where people can build on each other's skills and passions thanks to online exposure and communities. Must-see talk in my opinion...

High-level Projection Mapping

Recently, a new H&M store opened its doors in Amsterdam and to prepare for the launch a projection-mapping experience was projected for 3 nights before the opening event. I was quite impressed with the complexity and beauty of it. You can see it below as well:



As impressed as I was I looked around for more examples of this. Then my girlfriend showed me Ralph Lauren's 4D experience from New York and I was blown away:

Theatrical Rich Media - what is it?

I've seen it several times now - seems to be gaining popularity - a campaign that transforms a website into a unique experience. It seems to be particularly popular with games and movies. Below are several examples that were nominated for the DMACS(Digital Media Advertising Creative Showcase) awards:

Viral Excellence

Recently, BrandRepublic posted a chart of the most successful and impacting viral videos in the past year. I want to use this post to share a few of them to demonstrate the different "hooks" that viral uses to accumulate millions of views. If I had to summarize in a phrase what it is that makes viral so..hm..viral is "Strong emotion". Whether that is sadness, guilt, passion, lust or inspiration the greatest viral videos always have to do with emotion. See for yourself in the below examples:





The Number 1 on the chart. TAC's campaign against drunk driving:

Impressive Interactive Banners

I was recently introduced to BannerBlog by a friend of mine and have discovered some real gems there in terms of sophisticated digital ads. Usually I am personally annoyed by banners but the banners I looked at on BannerBlog are special - they are not only relevant but also exciting and involving. I am personally fascinated by the gaming industry and the below banners are a great example of how banners can be utilized to market a game.

Developed by agency Biborg - the Assassin's Creed II: Brotherhood banner:
http://www.bannerblog.com.au/2010/11/assasins_creed_brotherhood_internet_battle.php

Freestyle Interactive's Madden NFL 2010 banner:
http://www.bannerblog.com.au/2009/08/madden_nfl_10_youtube_masthead_1.php

Wieden + Kennedy, Draftfcb and Sabertooth's Mass Effect 2 interactive banner:
http://work.draftfcbdev.com/me2/diorama/bannerDemo/me2_diorama.html