Samsung's Solar Phone

With "green" and touch-screen phones being all the rage for the past couple of years, it wasonly a matter of time before someone combined the two.

It would seem Samsung would be the first manufacturer to spot this gap. Their new Blue Earth touchscreen phone can be powered by the sun, is partially made out of recycled water bottles and lacks the toxic substances found in many other electronics.

Incorporated in the design is a large solar panel on the back of the device which will be able to fully charge the extremely phone. The manufacturer also plans to incorporate solar cells into their entire product line in the future.

The Blue Earth was showcased at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 16th.

Via: PSFK

Roads As Powerstations

An environmentally friendly road that generates its own energy that can be converted into electricity may sound odd - although now entirely possible, thanks to some smart thinking by Haim Abromovich, a scientist from the Israeli Institute of Technology.

The feat has been made possible by placing piezoelectric crystals under the tar that converts vibrations from passing vehicles into energy. The faster and heavier the vehicle is, the more energy the road harvests. Abromovich states that “the crystals can produce 400 kilowatts from a kilometer stretch of a four lane highway. In addition to producing energy, the technology can identify the speed, weight and distance interval of the vehicles. The data can be sent to a control centre and can be used to alert drives, police, road maintenance and emergency services.

The road was developed and marketed by Innowatt Technologies and Abromovich has been appropriately named as the ‘smart road.’

Via: Innowatt Tech

The Truth On Tanning

UK skin cancer charity has launched an interesting integrated campaign to raise awareness of the growing threat of skin cancer.Using print and outdoor ads, street leafleting, PR and digital seeding, a fake company called ComputerTan, offering people the chance to get regular top-up tans from the comfort of their office desk using "revolutionary new technology" was made aware to millions of consumers. The campaign was also supported by a 20 sec informercial that ran on the London Underground digital advertising network of 75 cross track screens at 11 stations over a period of two weeks.

The fake ComputerTan.com site allows people to switch on what they expect to be a free tanning session but once the screen has converted to an array of UV bulbs users are confronted with shocking images and facts about skin cancer as well as a link to Skcin's website for more information.

According to BrandRepublic, the site attracted 30000 hits in the first 24 hours.

Via: BrandRepublic

The Next Advertising Hotshop: Saturday Night Live?

In a move that some ardent viewers considered shocking, cast and crew from "Saturday Night Live" recently crafted three ads for Pepsi that mentions and showcases cans and logos of Pepsi Cola a into three different executions of "MacGruber," a long-running spoof of the old "MacGyver" TV series.


The ads looked just like "SNL" skits but ran during commercial breaks on the Jan. 31 edition of the show. One of the ads also appeared during the recent Super Bowl. AdAge also reports that Pepsi's ad agency, Omnicom Group's TBWA/Chiat/Day, had little if any involvement in the commercials.

"We definitely feel like it's not a one-off," said Pepsi-Cola North America spokeswoman Nicole Bradley, who suggested Pepsi would be interested in working with both "Saturday Night Live" and other TV programs in the future. "It's a very determined step to connect with consumers in a new, contemporary way."

By using a well-established entertainment portfolio in unique ways, brands can certainly get their messaging across in fresh and innovative ways.

Via: AdAge

Revamped Citroen DS For The New Millenium

According to reports, French auto-manufacturer is set to release a new range of cars inspired by the iconic DS model, a move it hopes will tap into the public's lust for nostalgia and ultimately boost ailing automotive sales.

Citroen will also reveal a revamped version of its chevron logo in Paris in conjunction with the launch of the new DS

In line with the rest of the automotive industry, the car manufacturer is suffering from falling demand worldwide but it hopes that its new DS series will help reverse this trend. The new range will be aimed at the more affluent end of the car market and the DS initials will now stand for "Distinctive Series".

Citroen built almost 1.46 million DS cars between 1955 and 1975, impressing consumers with its technological advancements such as pneumatic suspension and power steering.

Via: Asia One Motoring

Ashton Kutcher Series: Exclusively on Facebook

Katalyst Media, the production firm led by Ashton Kutcher, has entered into a partnership with leading social networking apps developer Slide Inc. to launch a Web series on Facebook. The venture marks one of the first examples of original and professional content debuting exclusively on the social network.

The new short-form offering, KatalystHQ, is conceived as a mock reality series providing viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the goings-on at the Katalyst offices in Los Angeles. The first episode, "Method Acting," features Kutcher preparing a bit too seriously for an upcoming movie role.

Episodes of the show, which debuted yesterday, are being distributed via Slide Inc's FunSpace app, which is used by 150 million users on Facebook.

In terms of monetisation, Slide executives said episodes of KatalystHQ would regularly contain product integration. Cheetos is featured in the first episode.

Via: Brandweek

Fashionable Netbooks

Whilst netbooks have gained increasing popularity over the past year with their user-friendliness and portability, it would seem that the latest trend has mixed the idea of power dressing with that of the cyber world.
HP computers, in collaboration with fashion house Vivienne Tam, recently took to the run way at the 2009 Fall New York Fashion Show, launching the netbook for the fashion conscious. Soon, high profile business women will be able to stay constantly connected with an item that at first glance could be mistaken for a handbag.

The campaign showcases designs from the leaders in the international fashion industry. The concept of power dressing has become high fashion; soon you can have a laptop to match every outfit.

Via: Techworld

Lego's Augmented Reality

Danish toy manufacturers Lego has attempted to make use of augmented reality technology in their latest marketing effort.

An interactive terminal can be found at the point-of-sale in selected toy stores and Lego stores with a special software program developed exclusively for the Lego group. Together with a camera and display screen, the software reveals a fully-assembled 3D animation of the contents for selected boxes of Lego sets.


As the technology increases in sophistication in the coming years, the level of interactivity would naturally increase too - making the shopping experience that much richer for customers.

Via: Notcot

Adverts That Grow - Literally

At this year's Detroit Motor Show, Toyota showed off the 3rd generation Prius - further highlighting the hybrid and green credentials for the brand.

The communications for the new Prius at the show was rather interesting in itself. Toyota gave away thousands of paper cards with seeds embedded in them.


The front contains a simple tag line that says ‘Good ideas grow. Literally.’ The back has the planting instructions, which are essentially burying the card in soil and watering it. Each card contains a mix of annual and perennial wildflower seeds.

Via: PSFK

Give A Little, Take A Lot Later

Towards the end of 2009, the Python team, fed up by the tens of thousands of clips illegally uploaded to YouTube by fans, took an unusual step to combat falling sales of their DVD's.

Instead of removing each illegal clip on video sharing site such as YouTube, the team made their intellectual property officially available, labeled, sorted and categorised in high-quality, with a call to action asking people to buy the official DVDs.

According to FastCompany:

"The trick of making Monty Python videos available for free online has boosted DVD sales of the comedy sketch show. If you compare DVD sales figures on Amazon before and after the creation of the Monty Python YouTube channel, the boost apparently tallies in at around 23,000%."

Not a bad return for a little generosity is it? Perhaps there's a lesson for a lot of brands who are still clinging onto what they feel is rightly theirs? Time to consider a bit of giving before the taking...

Via: FastCompany

Cadbury's Latest Viral - The Eyebrow Dance

Having made it big virally in 2008 with the drumming gorilla, Cadbury - through Glass and a Half Full Productions - has launched their latest effort in the hopes of recreating the past successes.

The latest feature shows off some facial acrobatics from a pair of schoolchildren who are involved in an eyebrow dance-off. Have a look below..

Reality Shows Flighted Exclusively In-Store

Endemol, the production company responsible for hit reality shows such as Big Brother, Deal or no Deal and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition have recently introduced a new show with a twist.

Instead of having to tune in regularly on TV to catch your latest installment, the show, named "Waiting for a Ride", will instead be shown in various retail locations in two-and-a-half minute episodes and updated monthly.

David Armour, VP-Endemol Digital Studios, said digital out of home was an appealing new area for Endemol to invest in original content because of its ability to reach younger audiences in targeted, on-the-go environments. But like any new content platform, the show will be measured and even filmed differently than a typical TV series.

The show promises to be very much more engaging than other reality shows in order to keep consumers. In addition to reaching Access 360's (the outdoor digital media owners who teamed up with Endemol on this venture) estimated monthly in-store audience of 43 million young adults, the series eventually will be distributed online, with exclusive behind-the-scenes content, as well as additional mobile call-to-action elements.

Roman Tsunder, president and founder of Access 360 Media has said that the cost of the spots will be one fifth of traditional TV rates, making the medium a logical choice for marketers as well.

Via: AdAge

Kraft Foods' Inspired iPhone Marketing

When a marketer creates something that's actually useful, consumers don't really see it as straight marketing, or they're at least willing to accept advertising as the payoff.Kraft Foods have certainly proved it in the US with their iPhone application launched in December last year. Called the iFood Assistant, the application is subject to a once-off 99c download fee, as well as other advertising when used.

Despite these annoyances which could potentially turn consumers off, the application has reached the top hundred of the devices' paid download applications, and also ranks second in the lifestyle category.

The iFood Assistant's rich interface works well with the handset, and its navigation is similar to that of the iPod. The application offers a host of recipes, browse-able by ingredients, meal type or prep time. Consumers can also register at KraftFoods.com to save recipes and build shopping lists. Recipes come with instructions simple enough for the novices, and also features daily recipes (made of Karft ingredients) to try and tempt consumers.

Via: AdAge, Kraft Foods

World Thorium Fuel Concept Vehicle

US designer Loren Kulesus has designed a prototype vehicle for Cadillac which would theoretically be able to run for 100 years under daily use.

According to the designer, there are redundancies and back-up systems built for all the major systems of the vehicle so even if something were to fail on the vehicle it would continue to function.

For example, the vehicle has 24 wheels with individual internal induction motors. All that's required in terms of upkeep on the vehicle is the need for the tyres to be re-adjusted once every 5 years.

In terms of the body of the vehicle, the designer has envisaged that it flexes like a muscle to allow superior road-handling characteristics, as well as allowing for automatic adjustment of the angle of the wheels to the contact surface of the road according to the movement of the vehicle - thereby maximising efficiency to power the vehicle.

Via: Coroflot, PSFK

Lego-Branded Electronics

In an interesting brand collaboration between Lego and digital manufacturers Digital Blue will come a new source of high-tech toys which is set to be Lego shaped.
Later this year, consumers can expect to see Lego-themed digital cameras, walkie-talkies, low-end video cameras, MP3 players and a bunch of other electronic toys - all aimed at children and costing between $30 to $60.While these gizmos will be Lego-themed and classic toy brick-shaped, it might disappoint a few fans that they won't come apart who might be tempted to combine and integrated various devices.

Via: Fastcompany, Kids Tech Review

Beginning of Anti-Energy Drinks?

It seems the US has given birth to a whole new drinks category.

Led by a product called "Drank" - a purple-tinged carbonated beverage that combines the natural calming qualities of Melatonin, Valerian Root and Rose Hips, the so-called “relaxation” or “anti-energy drink” category is upon us.

PSFK notes an interesting twist in the marketing of the product:

"Wishing to capture a youthful audience, the Houston-based Innovation Beverage Group, is playing up the drink’s hip-hop roots from its slogan promising to “Slow Your Roll” to promotional efforts that include distributing free samples from a Hummer and placing the product in a recent rap video. And while these associations might appear rather innocuous on the surface, given Drank’s obvious similarities to dangerous street concoctions with names like “purple drank” and “sizzurp” that combine cough syrup and soda, the company’s tactics are more than a little troubling."

With the Innovative Beverage Group reporting sales just shy of $1.5 million through the end of September 2008 - a few months after the product launched - there seems very little wrong with the positioning and the marketing of the product.

Via: PSFK, NY Times

Brainy Games

Toy makers Mattel have recently launched a new game with an interesting, futuristic difference.

Mind Flex requires players to wear a headset equipped with sensors that measure brainwave activity in order to levitate a ball and move it through hoops. The sensors detect and measure the output of one brainwave frequency which increases with concentration. The waves are converted into a signal then sent to the game unit, which in turn powers the little fans, causing the ball to float.

Via: Guardian, PSFK

Prove Your Love For The Whopper

There's no such thing as a free meal, but how much is a free Burger King Whopper worth to you? In the fast-food chain's latest promotion, a free Whopper comes at a small price of 10 Facebook friends.

Interested customers need to install the Whopper Sacrifice application on their Facebook profiles and begin the de-Facing process to claim their Whooper.

Considering the sheer number of vague contacts so many of us have on Facebook, the deal might as well be free. So far, according to the promotional site, over 48000 friends have already been converted into meals.

Via: Adverblog, Whopper Sacrifice

Pay As You Fly

A South African company by the name of Airtime Airlines is preparing to change the way we think about airline ticketing with a creative pricing model.
The company will be launching a new system called iFly Airtime, a pay-as-you-fly system that allows passengers to purchase “flying minutes” and book flights using the text message function on their cell phones. The company will attribute values to each leg of their flights at a set number of "flying minutes", regardless of any potential delays.

All reservations must be booked within 90 days of purchasing airtime and all travel must take place within 365 days to eliminate wholesale purchase of flying minutes.

The company will co-brand with cellphone network service providers MTN, Vodacom and Cell C. For those who are unable to book within the requisite time-frame, flying minutes will be made transferable to their cell phone accounts. Furthermore, flyers who sign-up for the frequent flyer program will receive a free phone from one of the above providers after purchase of their first flight.

There are still a certain amount of red tape for Airtime Airlines prior to their planned launch in February, but it'd be interesting to see whether a new player on the market can overcome some well established brands through their innovative and novel offering.

Via: Wired, PSFK

Certainty (And Brand Building) In Uncertain Times

In the face of so much doom and gloom for all brands, especially in the automotive industry, Hyundai in the US has again innovated in an attempt to set them apart from other manufacturers.

Hyundai's new "Assurance Program" allows new-vehicle buyers or those who lease to return their cars for up to a year after purchase if they lose their income due to a job loss. The free coverage is available to all buyers at participating dealerships and covers up to $7,500 in a buyers' negative equity. A reassuring thought for potential buyers and a great way to ensure that stock continues moving off Hyundai's showroom floors without cheapening their brand in any way.

Hyundai's Assurance Program, when compared to some other US manufacturers who are offering two cars for the price of one comes across as far more cerebral and certainly doesn't have the same smell of desperation as that of the GM Dodge offers.

Communications for Hyundai US are created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and broke earlier this month throughout the US. Click here to see one of the new spots.

Via: AdAge

Design Your Table On Your Phone

A Swiss company called mSHAPE has introduced a new technology which allows customers to tailor and design their own tables, literally from the palm of their hands.

Interested users can download and install the mTABLE application onto their phones. Thereafter, users are able to select the general table they are looking for, their desired material and dimensions, as well as adding personal touches in the form of decorations. Users can also create a variety dips, dents, and holes on the surface of their table.

Individual designs can then be submitted to the company's website whereby a high-res 3D version of the table can be viewed. Users also have the option of browsing other designs. Once the order has been verified and ordered, customers will receive their unique creations within 12 weeks.

It seems like an interesting way to get more consumers interacting with this particular brand in a novel way, but the extra step of having to log on to the site to view and place their orders seems like an unnecessary hassle which might annoy potential users.

Via: mSHAPE, PSFK

Puma City

Puma has built the world's biggest pop-up store, which is currently traveling the world with the 70-foot long Puma sailing boat - il Mostro - which is competing in the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race.

The structure is a 11,000 square foot building that contains a retail store, lounge, event space, and offices. The building will be assembled and disassembled a number of times at different harbor sites around the world over the span of a year, which added an extra challenge for the designers and architects.

The designers opted for shipping containers as the basis for the structure. 24 containers were restructured to make up the impressive structure. The store has also been designed to conform to international building codes, as well as adaptable ventilation systems to make traveling to different parts of the world easier.

Via: PSFK

Kahlua Tries To Save Some Holiday Parties

With so many companies having to cancel their Christmas parties this year due to the negative economic downturn, it was only a matter of time before a big brand stepped up in attempts to stand out.


Kahlua has launched a campaign for all companies eligible in 5 States in the US in their attempt to help save some holiday parties. The brand is offering five $10,000 prizes to five small businesses that have had to cancel their holiday parties and interested companies can apply online at KahluaSavesTheHolidayParty.com.

Via: Luxist

Make The Logo Smaller

An interesting study conducted by British Neuro-Scientist Dr Gemma Calvert has found that a brand's logo, whilst eliciting responses in test subjects, actually affects potential consumers far less than more subtle, subliminally stimulating imagery.

The research subjects were shown subliminal images that had no overt connection to cigarette brands - a red Ferrari, a cowboy on horseback, a camel in the desert. Next, they were shown explicit images such as the Marlboro Man and Joe Camel, the Marlboro and Camel logos, and branded packs of cigarettes.

In both cases, MRI scans were used to look for activity in the nucleus accumbens - the area in our brain that controls cravings, with the aim to determine whether subliminal images would generate cravings similar to those generated by the logos and the clearly marked Marlboro and Camel packs. There was a similar response among former smokers, but no response among people who had never smoked before.

The results showed that even though both explicit and implicit images elicited some form of craving response in test subjects, the subliminal images not only generated more activity in the reward and craving center amongst test subjects than when they viewed the overt images. In other words, the logo-free images associated with cigarettes triggered more cravings among smokers than the logos themselves or the images of cigarette packs, a result that was consistent for both Camel and Marlboro smokers.

The research concluded that brand components engage the consumer in figuring out who's behind the message and, most importantly, speak to the subconscious mind. For example, one won't find a logo on the front of an iPod, yet its iconic look is enough for you to know what brand it is, whilst BMW's signature kidney grill is distinct enough to represent the entire brand.

Via: AdAge

Whiskey Ad Literally Speaks To Consumers

Beginning on Dec. 4, Jameson's Whiskey will launch an outdoor projection-media campaign in high-traffic areas where many of Jameson's target consumers will be out and about, around restaurants and bars.
The interesting angle to this outdoor campaign is the seemingly live interaction the billboards will have with potential consumers. AdAge reports that the projected screens will look as if someone is typing out messages to passers-by, even though most of the communications have been scripted and automatically programmed on a seven- to 10-minute looping movie file. In New York and Los Angeles, however, a copywriter will actually type out messages in real time via a laptop to interact with those near the projection.

It sounds like it could potentially be a very fun campaign, especially for the copywriters who are typing live and interacting with passers-by. The campaign is set to launch in New York, where it will run for three nights before touring the rest of the US for the remainder of December.

Via: AdAge