Archive for May, 2010

Corona Brings the Beach to Times Square

by DOmedia on May 28, 2010 in Advertising, Alternative advertising, Branding campaigns, Events, Guerrilla Marketing, Sponsorships with No comments

New Yorkers got a real surprise when walking through Times Square this past week. Instead of the usual overcrowded and dirty sidewalks, there was a transplanted beach right in the middle of the city’s busiest intersection! Not only was there over 30 tons of real sand, there were palm trees (not the real ones, sadly), beach chairs, volleyball nets, corn hole boards, loud music and other themed items. And of course, what Margaritaville would be complete without an ice cold Corona in your hand?

In fact, a Corona bottle was placed right in the middle of the party, towering at 30 feet tall! Too bad it is only an inflatable promo item… There were also Corona brand ambassadors – some even (semi) famous – including Real Housewife of New York City, Kelly Bensimon, mingling all over the scene. The Corona sponsored event lasts through July 31^st.

The ‘€œpop-up beach’€ is the biggest summer launch for Corona Extra and Corona Light. Parent company, Crown Imports, reported that media coverage has been provided by ESPN2’s ‘€œSportsNation’€, local news, and online outlets in the States, Mexico and Japan. Other promotional giveaways at the party include sunscreen, bead necklaces, and key chains. But to win one of the 100 trips to Cancun, you better start looking for one of the 2,000 Corona bottles donning a promotional wrap that includes an entry code for chances to win online. Looks like summer is here early, and what better way to celebrate than with a Corona and lime? Better start drinking!

DOmedia Travels to the Big Apple for MediaPostâ€™s Digital OOH Forum

by DOmedia on May 17, 2010 in Digital signage, DOmedia, Events, Out-of-home advertising with No comments

Is this glass half full or half empty? Well the one in this picture happens to be wine, so if it’s mine it’s probably more than half empty. But in terms of the metaphor everyone is familiar with, I think the answer depends on who you are and what you’re doing. As members of the digital OOH (ahem’€¦ place-based video) industry, I think in 2009 it was easy to say half empty. After spending a day with the industry at the MediaPost 2010 Digital OOH Forum, I think the attitudes of the group have made an optimistic transition.

halfFull

Jack Sullivan from Starcom demanded the early attention of the conference with powerful insights from a panel of Big Buyers. Tough questions were posed throughout the day, and from what I can tell, some still need answered. These include:

Consistent Measurement ‘€“ More networks are starting to get measured’€”which is great’€”but now we need to find a consistent way to compare apples to bananas to better understand the differences in the quality of impressions when we look for scale.
Consistent Formats ‘€“ Sure it would be great to create a custom creative message for each unique consumer in each unique environment (and at different times), but given digital OOH is still small potatoes to most advertisers, how practical is it to do so?
Growth Plan ‘€“ Given digital signage has many technical strengths and capabilities (geo addressibility, mobile integration, POS positioning, etc.), why are we still chasing traditional formats and budgets? How can we balance the need to lower barriers of entry to advertisers, while allowing the core strengths of the medium to shine through? Where do local advertisers fit in?

As the day rolled on, our own Jeff Bell revealed screenshots of DOfind, the highly anticipated enhanced version of our directory service, during the vendor showcase (which included some other cool companies, too, like interactive gaming provider MegaPhone who used the audience’s mobile phones to demo a few games in what was probably the day’s most unique presentation).

Late in the afternoon, I enjoyed the irony of Dave Weinfeld’s point about how the event missed an opportunity to integrate mobile with the digital screen. In the session before his panel, the creatives were dismantling certain example executions for ‘€œnot utilizing the strengths of digital signage’€ (like mobile integration). People (including me) were tweeting on their phones throughout the event, but there was no tie in to the ‘€œscreen’€ that was on the stage (except for MegaPhone; applause again guys). I guess we can all learn to improve as we better understand the capabilities of this media.

Overall it was a great show and I look forward to working with the industry in addressing these key issues for growth!

Thanks PRN for the lunch and the Starbucks card from bingo. And thanks to Bob Martin and the folks from RMG Networks for buying the beer after the show!

Find me @mattwarholic or email to matt[at]domedia.com

Ford Helps Small Businesses Take Advertising to the Streets

by DOmedia on May 14, 2010 in Advertising, Alternative advertising, Branding campaigns, Guerrilla Marketing, Out-of-home advertising with No comments

When you stop and think about all the ways advertisers can reach their audiences, the most obvious way is driving right under our noses’€¦ our cars! Think about it: cars are seen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no matter where or who you are. Cars are basically bulletin boards for their drivers’ personality and style; whether someone is conservative or wild and flashy, cars have become a regular status symbol… a trend Ford has taken note of and is now cashing in on.

FordWrap

Major American automaker, Ford, has developed its own personalized line of car wraps for small business owners. Last year, Ford created a website that enabled private drivers to design and create funky car wraps to decorate their Ford cars. Now, Ford has extended the offer to small businesses. Owners of Ford’s Transit Connect truck can create their own custom graphic wraps using various shapes, letters and colors that are available to them online. Or if you’re looking for an even more personalized wrap, upload your own graphics and images! The site offers extensive creative choices and is easy to navigate, even for the novice artist.

FordLayout

Graphics can be added to an entire truck, or just one specific side. The wraps are 3M vinyl and installed by a Ford dealer or a specialist. Costs range from about $100 for a small panel logo to $3,500 for a full vehicle wrap. That seems like a small price to pay to get your product on the road for everyone to see!

FordWrap2

Eco-Friendly OOH Takes Over the Arena District

by DOmedia on May 7, 2010 in Advertising, Alternative advertising, Billboards, Branding campaigns, Events, Guerrilla Marketing, Out-of-home advertising, Technology, Trends with No comments

If you were anywhere in Columbus’ Arena District today, it would have been impossible to miss. Parked right on Nationwide Blvd in the heart of the district (and conveniently across the street from DOmedia World Headquarters) is a huge GE: ecomagination semi truck carrying a larger-than-life propeller from a wind turbine. The truck and propeller are part of ecomagination, GE’s effort to help “solve the world’s biggest environmental challenges,” according to their site. One of the program’s commitments is to engage the public through creative advertising. So they got their hands on a giant wind propeller, branded it, and are now taking it on the road as part of the “Catch the Wind Tour.”
GE: ecomagination
Aside from its sheer size, the traveling campaign is raising awareness in the mid-west by encouraging people to make a commitment of their own. Written on the side of the propeller is a simple sentence: “I’m helping to build America’s energy future.” By signing their name on the propeller, passersby join the thousands of others already committed to the cause.
ecomagination
GE wasn’t the only company taking advantage of the busy pedestrian superhighway on this gorgeous Friday. Toyota was also in attendance, complete with a wrapped plug-in hybrid car touting an amazing 100+ mpg.

And I can’t forget CD101, parked in front of the arena, handing out free ice cream (now we’re talking)! The picture below shows the Arena District is no stranger to OOH. The four large billboards continuously spotlight the biggest brands, while the main digital screen is a great resource for weather, upcoming concerts at the arena, and much more. And, of course, the reliable Miller Lite clock off to the right.