The distinction between digital and real is breaking down
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I’ve just read two great posts about “OFF=ON” from o’reilly radar and trendwatching.
To quote trendwatching:
“More and more, the offline world (a.k.a. the real world, meatspace or atom-arena) is adjusting to and mirroring the increasingly dominant online world, from tone of voice to product development to business processes to customer relationships.”
O’reilly have taken this insight slightly further arguing that this process will continue until there is no difference between the online and offline world – using a classic William Gibson quote to emphasise the idea:
“One of the things our grandchildren will find quaintest about us is that we distinguish the digital from the real, the virtual from the real“
To me, the most interesting case study from OFF=ON is TCHO, a San Francisco-based chocolate manufacturer using web 2.0 ideas in it’s offline business:
“Its founders started Wired magazine, so it’s no surprise they’re taking a high-tech approach to the production of an age-old delight. In its factory, TCHO combines recycled and refurbished legacy chocolate equipment with the latest process control, information and communications systems.
The company’s “obsessively good” dark chocolate is created in limited-run “beta editions” that are only available online and at its factory store. Continuous flavor development and customer feedback mean that varieties are constantly evolving, with new versions emerging as frequently as every 36 hours.
TCHO also aims to change the way people describe chocolate and has created a new taxonomy based on common-sense terms like “nutty”, “fruity” and “chocolatey” to help people find the types they like best.
Products are named accordingly, such as the recent Beta C Ghana 0.2x release, for example, in which the “C” stands for chocolatey. Finally, TCHO embraces a social mission that goes beyond Fair Trade to help farmers by transferring knowledge of how to grow and ferment better beans, allowing them to escape commodity production and become premium producers. “
There is obvioulsy a lesson for agencies here……
MS Surface

It’s easy to see why everybody is so exited about Microsoft Surface, the technology and user experience are just amazing, imaging the possibilties. I could write and talk about this for days, instead, I’d suggest you have a look at these videos.
The teaser
DJ demo 1
DJ demo 2
Drumkit test
I am rich
To my knowledge this was the first piece of software that acted purely as a status item, like a logo on a shirt or car, or like an oversized diamond on a ring, quite interesting. It would have cost you about 670 Euro (approx. £530,- or $1,000,- ) and did nothing but shine, showing off your “wealth”.
Apple app store received a whole bus load of complaints and the app was taken offline, envy does still stir people I guess. The app was created by Armin Heinrich as an lifestyle & art thing.
I wonder whether one of our fundraising clients might do a similar supporter app/badge (bought with a sizeable donation) for iPhone users to show that they support the charity, rather like wearing an NSPCC full stop button on your jacket. The app could then drive messages to the donor rather like a desktop application – alerting them to new campaigns, emergency appeals, etc.
Esquires e-paper magazine

Esquire magazine (as reported by boing boing) are going to be using e-ink (electronic paper) on the front and inside cover of their October edition making it possible to animate the cover and an ad for Ford in the magazine.
This is awesome in so many ways, but what really interests me is that it is another development of an argument (and I can’t remember where I read this) that digital shouldn’t be treated as just another channel because other channels are all becoming digital – think of the BBC iPlayer or the adshells on the tube as an example of this. Eventually all media will have the ability to be interactive.
I wonder who’ll be the first to use this in DM?
Talking pets viral campaign
Here’s a new campaign we’ve just launched for The Blue Cross charity. The campaign is designed to drive traffic to the animal charity’s new social network.
Our talking pets campaign allows users to create their own Talking Pet which they can then send to a friend or stick on their facebook page. Users can choose pre-defined pets, or can upload images of their own pets. We convert text to speech, animate the pet and bingo you’ve got a realistic talking pet.
We’re driving traffic to the microsite using email and digital advertising. One of the ad formats is a genuine world-first. The ad unit scrapes the page, identifies the H1 tag and then a talking pet in the ad unit reads the day’s headline from the news story on the page. The messaging kind of goes, “Didn’t know pets could read? Well they can talk to and you can create your own talking pet.” What’s more the ad unit also allows the user to enter their own message in the banner and have the pet read it out.
Try the site. If you’re a pet lover, you’ll really enjoy it.
Google gets into virtual worlds – with a difference
Google Labs have recently released an interesting little beta called Lively.
Lively is pretty much a browser based virtual world platform. Kind of instant messaging with 3-D environments and avatars thrown in. At the moment it looks pretty basic and it only works on PC with limited browser compatibility, but I think Lively could be the start of something very interesting.
First off, it’s browser based and once you’ve created an avatar and room, google gives you the embed code so you can plonk your virtual environment on any webpage or blog. Suddenly the previously walled garden of virtual worlds has gone social. True at the moment individual Lively rooms don’t feel linked together, but my bet is you’ll see that change over the coming months. I’d also wager that if the beta becomes a full release (and I reckon it will), then google will very rapidly embed video and text advertising in the environments.
On a more fanciful level, I can’t help but imagine what might happen if google links Lively up with Google maps/google earth. Suddenly the conenction between real and virtual worlds could become very interesting.
For my amateurish attempt at using Lively to create my own virtual environment, check out this link (if you’re on PC). Or, for a more accomplished room design, take a look at I Hate Ewoks.
Consumer health revolution
In 2007, 143 million adults in Europe searched for healthcare information. That’s just part of the dynamic that is changing the face of consumer healthcare marketing. John Perkins, the MD of our healthcare business, recently wrote an article for Pharmaceutical Marketing detailing the risks for marketers who haven’t yet woken up to the changes sweeping the industry.
You can download the article here.
Cannes 2008 – Direct winners

Shackleton Madrid agency of the year. One of the jurors told me that Shackleton made over a 100 entries to Cannes. That’s a serious amount of time, money and effort, but it seems to have paid off for them.
From the UK, JWT and The Communications both get golds.Ogilvy, CHI and JWT get bronzes. As does our freelance art director, Michael Jones.
In the Promo category McCann Erickson from the UK get a gold.
Cannes 2008 – Direct – Some shortlisted work

Here is some of the shortlisted direct work. This is from Castrol. It’s my favourite piece in the category. Wearing motorcycle helmets is seen as very uncool by Indian youth. This mailed t-shirt on receipt gives 10 reasons why you shouldn’t wear a helmet. But, when it’s washed the t-shirt has an awful accident in the washing machine. The red ink runs blood red and the message mostly disappears leaving only the stark warning ‘reason why you should wear a helmet’. Excellent.

During the Hollywood writer’s strike, TCM sent out this simple mailer. It features a very short letter claiming the channel is in full support of the strike, as after all the best movies have already been made. Such a clear dramatisation of the movie channel’s USP.

Mailpack for Toyota, selling the benefits of the built-in GPS system. Again a simple idea – the envelope has been redirected, but with GPS you’ll arrive without detours.

Lots of ideas playing with the mechanics of mail this year. Here a scale replica of the Land Rover Discovery is sent to prospects in packaging which appears to have been absolutely battered in the process of reaching you. However the ‘indestructible’ Land Rover Discovery is in pristine condition inside the ruined packaging.

Not very PC, but perfect for the target audience. This is the ‘last longer’ pillow.





