Tissot Brings Augmented Reality To Point Of Sale

Tissot has partnered with Harrod's by installaing an interactive window display that enables consumers to virtually ‘try on’ watches from both the Ladies and T-Touch men’s collection, complete with a fully interactive touch screen that allows potential customers to experience the wider Tissot range range in an innovative and fresh way.

Whilst the idea and execution is no doubt highly engaging and interactive, the paper wristbands do somewhat detract from the premium nature of the watch brand, in my opinion...

Below is a video showcasing the many positive responses from potential purchasers, so perhaps my opinion doesn't matter much, in this instance.

Via - Luxuo

Harley Tries Crowdsourcing

Harley Davidson took the decision to allow the brand's fans to create their next commercial. The brand made the brief public and received over 600 ideas from 200 individuals. This was then shortlisted to 65 possible ideas, with one eventual winner chosen.

Below is the perhaps slightly predictable result:

Via - PSFK

Removing The Boundaries Between The Real & The Virtual

It's often easier to imagine concept cars as the manifestation of talented designers' vision on paper. And when a car looks as futuristic and the concept behind the design so intangible and ground breaking, as was the case with the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept shown at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, it's almost impossible to think that the manufacturers would make a working prototype to give people a taste of things to come.

BMW did it, and below is a behind the scenes video that proves it.

Via - AOL Autos

Toyota Attempts To Buy Friends

Toyota Australia recently launched a social media campaign in support for the FJ Cruiser. The idea is a simple one, for every "Like" the brand receives on it's Facebook page, the total price of the vehicle will decrease by $5 for the eventual winner. Over and above the discounts, the brand will also throw in extra value-add items to entice potential purchasers even more.

The overall winner of the competition, out of all those who participated on Facebook will stand a chance of buying the vehicle at a maximum $20000 discount.

Via - Like My Ride

Cash, Credit Card Or BMW Key?

Contactless payment transaction systems have already been in existence for some time now. But thanks to innovations from BMW, these transaction systems may see more ubiquitous presence going forward.

By integrating the necessary technology into the BMW key itself, drivers will be able to unlock far more than just their cars in future. Below is a short clip from IDG News Service that gives you a hint of the convenience this may provide for you.

Via - Autoblog

Interact With Ads - There's An App For That

In support of the new Honda Jazz campaign, the Japanese automotive brand has launched an iPhone app that allows viewers to participate and influence the commercial.

The app lets viewers catch and play with the characters as they appear in the Honda Jazz spot, whether it's being viewed on TV, a computer or iPhone. The goal: try to catch them all, and watch for some "unpredictable extras" — and, of course, keep Honda Jazz top of mind.

Via - YouTube

BMW With Electric Speed

When Croatian Mate Rimac's engine gave up on his E30 3 Series, he decided that instead of replacing the engine or sell the remainder to the scrap yard, he would go about creating an electric BMW using nothing but off the shelf parts.

The fourth and latest incarnation of his project, which took him two years to build, is a spectacular machine cabable of beating most cars in a straight-line drag race. The car's output stands at 900 bhp and travels to 100km/h in around 3.3 seconds. And depending on how furiously he drives it, can allegedely travel around 160km on each charge.

It's certainly proved it's speed - out-dragging a new Tesla below!

Via - Autoblog

Suits To Transport - BMW

BMW's design projects for students continue to inspire creative and surprising results that will and should change the way we see mobility in future.

The results of the latest initiative, in collaboration with the European Institute of Design in Barcelona, have been unveiled and dubbed as "Suits to Transport" - a unique mixture of mobility and fashion presented in highly creative designs.





The "Comme des Voitures" below would enable an inhabitant of urban cities moving n boots soled with large ball-bearings, with an element of virtual information over-layed on the experience with ambient and real time information on the intelligent visor.


Via - Barcelona Daily Photo

Future Of Mobility & BMW

BMW is about to release series of four films about the future of mobility, where it could lead and how it could be shaped.

Each documentary will be released once a week online,and features interviews with trend-setters, designers, engineers, scientists and pioneers.

Below is a trailer that has already been released - and looks set to be very interesting as a series.

Via - BMW Activate The Future

Aston Martin's 6 Minute Commercial

The communications for the new Aston Martin Rapide 4-door sedan was launched last week with a heavy digital presence.

The centerpiece of the campaign is a commercial that runs 6 minutes and 25 seconds, which can be watched in three parts on a section of the Aston Martin Web site.

The campaign idea, "True Power Should Be Shared", is brought to life in the web series that follows a mission embarked upon by four Britons who are tasked with the sharing of the ultimate "Power" - that of time.

James Temple, executive creative director at R/GA London - the agency tasked with the campaign - said the communication will seek to bring to life the concept that a four-door Aston Martin “provides the same exhilarating experienced expected and loved in the two-door Aston Martin.”

The campaign will also play out in social media. For instance, the four members of the mysterious team are on Twitter and they will send messages to people who follow them.

Below is the first episode:

Via - Aston Martin

Less Is More For Levi's

Levi's assessed the resources used in the manufacturing process of 501 denim in 2007 and discovered its jeans were, like the human body, mostly made of water.

Over the lifetime of its jeans, from the cotton fields to consumer to the laundry machine, an average pair of Levi's was found to use up 3480 liters of water, or"the equivalent of running a garden hose for 106 minutes."

Realising that it was difficult to change the behaviour of cotton farmers and consumers alike, Levi's decided to make a difference themselves.

The innovation in an attempt to save water in the manufacturing process has resulted in the Levi's Waterwill cost the same as the original Levi's, but will use 28% less water in the finishing process, which when multiplied by the 1.5 million pairs Levi's expects to sell this year, adds up to 16 million fewer liters of water consumed.

Via - Levi's

Adidas + Intel = New Spin On Retail

Intel, in partnership with Adidas, has launched a spectacular virtual display that renders products in 3-D, and allows a shopper to spin and zoom in on the shoes, and call up specs from a touch-screen display.


Supplemented by a supply of actual shoes that can serve as fit models, the display wall allows retailers to deliver massive inventory in a relatively small space.

The clever use of technology can really catapult traditional retailers into more interactive and immersive experiences for shoppers and is the closest any brand has come to combining e-commerce and traditional retail.

Via - FastCompany

Environmental Disaster = GM Opportunity

With BP's environmental disaster now in the past, GM has reportedly devised a way to turn oil-soaked plastic boom used by the oil giant to soak up the spilled oil into plastic resin that that will be used for under-the-hood parts in the recently released extended range electric Volt.

In a collaborative effort with various companies, Heritage Environmental, who are collecting the used boom, as well as Mobile Fluid Recovery, tasked with eliminating absorbed oil and water with a high-speed drum that spins the booms until they are dry, and Lucent Polymers making the material appropriate for plastic die-mold production, and finally GDC Inc. combining the plastic resin with other plastic compounds to make the car components. The end product is a set of parts (25 percent boom material, 25 percent recycled tires) used to deflect air around the Volt's radiator.

GM will continue to use booms until the recovery process is completed, in approximately two months. Ultimately, the company estimates that its work will result in the upcycling of 100 miles of boom from the Alabama and Louisiana coasts--and produce over 100,000 pounds of plastic resin for Volt components.

Via - Fastcompany

Hyundai's New Owners Manual

Rather than just providing written information, Hyundai USA has taken advantage of the iPad's capabilties to deliver an app that demonstates to you what it's talking about.

The added advantage of presenting the manual in the form of an app - apart from the obvious value-add for the purchaser in the form of a new iPad with every purchase - is that the the app is free to download on iTunes whether you are an owner or not, thus doubling up nicely as an interactive product brochure for potential buyers too.

Via - Autoblog

Hybrid On The Cheap

The 39th richest man in the world, Mikhail Prokhorov, made his billions in finance and precious metal production. The billionaire's latest venture involves spending close to $200 million in an attempt at building and selling petrol electric hybrid vehicles for the Russian market.


The two-door ë-mobile (pronounced "Yo-mobile") will source all of its parts from Russia and former Soviet Union nations, and costing approximately $10,000 when it is released in 2012.

The ultra-cheap hybrid will come standard with a loud engine, negating the need to install extra sound and noise output now required by the US for all hybrid cars for safety purposes, and will achieve a top speed of 130 kilometres per hour, with fuel efficiency said to be around 3,5 litres per 100 kilometres.

Via - Fastcompany

Revenge Of The Electric Car

Revenge of the Electric Car is an up-coming documentary that showcases key players driving the electric vehicle (EV) renaissance over the past few years.

The film features exclusive behind-the-scenes access to several large car makers as they work to change the auto industry and offer new electric car options to the general public; including General Motors, Nissan, the American start-up Tesla Motors, and an independent car converter.

Set for release in 2011, this documentary has the potential to drive the change in perception of eco-friendly alternatives for the future as An Inconvenient Truth did a few years back.

Below is the official trailer:

Via - Revenge of the Electric Car

Smart Clothing By Reebok

Having experimented with apparel and footwear that aims to help athletes in every way in products such as Easytone, Reebok has announced a further partnership with flexible electronics start-up, MC10, to integrate their thin, conformable, and stretchable electronics into future versions of Reebok sportswear.

The technology would enable athletes to monitor heart rate, blood pressure, sweat pH, body impacts, and joint stress. The goal is to provide more data to athletes using embedded sensor arrays that would communicate.

The partnership hopes to bring product to market within 2 years.

Via - Technology Review

Heineken Retails Whilst Social Networking

Heineken has consolidated it's online presence on Facebook and YouTube and aims to use it's fan base of a million or so Facebook users to sell merchandise directly from the social networking site.

Over and above Heineken branded clothing and other merchandise, the brand will also encourage users to suggest what the brand should offer, making for a more immersive and collaborative experience

Heineken is current finalising plans to standardise its branding globally, too. Having altered its logo design, including moving the star to above the centre of the word 'Heineken', it is now rolling out standardised bottle and can designs to ensure consistency where ever you might be.

Via - Brand Republic Marketing

Old Navy Tries iPod Touch For POS

The Old Navy chain of stores is testing a mobile retail software called “ZipCheck” in collaboration with Apple that will see the iPod as a handheld POS (Point of Sale).

Store clerks would carry the iPod Touch which will be attached to a barcode reader and credit card scanner and can print receipts wirelessly to in-store printers or to belt-mounted mini-printers that the staff can wear. This allows any customer to avoid the billing queue by simply walking up to a store employee and have them process the transaction and check out.

The future of retail might not be exclusively online after all?

Via - Fastcompany

Ford Focus To Reuse, Recycle & Reduce

In a conscious effort toward sustainable development and management of its environmental footprint, Ford has announced that it will use recycled clothing for carpet backing and sound absorption materials inside the 2012 Ford Focus, set to be on sale early next year in North America and Europe. The equivalent of two pairs of jeans will be used for each car.

Certain other Ford models will also make use of bio-based materials and non-metal recycled waste to turn into soy foam seat cushions, recycled resins for under-body systems, recycled yarns on seat covers, and natural-fiber plastic for interior components.

Via - CNET