All posts in Alternative advertising

Talk about your morning cup of coffee…

Once again, McDonald’s has found another creative and attention-grabbing way of showcasing their coffee. This time the stunt took place in three Canadian cities for two weeks as a way to encourage people to stop in for a free cup of coffee. Whether driving, walking or looking on from a local building, the ad was impossible to miss. Suspended 50 feet in the air was a giant coffee pot pouring a stream of coffee into a 7 ft tall cup (complete with the new cup design, of course).

(Image courtesy of Media Life Magazine)

Like I said, this isn’t the first time McDonald’s has put their coffee in the spotlight using an amazing and larger-than-life stunt. Earlier in NYC’s Times Square, the fast food chain raised an installation on the side of a building that included a giant spigot pouring hot coffee into a massive McDonald’s cup below. It’s no wonder McDonald’s did well in the OBIE Awards. They’ve done an incredible job of creating campaigns that are truly memorable and really stick with people.

Submedia: Interactive displays that actually move with you

by DOmedia on September 16, 2009 in Advertising, Alternative advertising, Out-of-home advertising, Street furniture, Technology, Trends with No comments

In today’s world, ads are everywhere. To be effective and catch the eye of consumers, an ad has to bring a little something extra to the table, give people a reason to notice. Submedia’s recent campaigns for Dasani water and Coca-Cola did just that, literally stopping people in their tracks.

It’s rare to find ads that people get excited about. That’s why Submedia’s work is always so effective. They bring advertising that is fresh, innovative & entertaining. Take the Dasani and Coke campaigns, for example. Using storefronts, Submedia created 3D interactive displays that actually moved with passersby. In that way, they not only caught attention, but actually got people interacting with the ads… to the point that some were even running up and down the sidewalk. Well done, Submedia! We can’t wait to see what you do next.

Find out more about Submedia’s walking motion picture displays and more.

San Francisco gets a sweet visit from Candy Land

by DOmedia on September 8, 2009 in Advertising, Alternative advertising, Branding campaigns, Events with No comments

What better way to celebrate a 60 year anniversary and the re-launch of a 3D-version of the classic board game Candy Land than an alternative media campaign on the world-famous Lombard Street in San Francisco? Great find by the folks at Media Life Magazine.

Aerial view of Candy Land
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Hasbro Inc., Darryl Bush)

The lucky kids who got the chance to play life-size Candy Land and hang out with the likes of Mr. Mint and King Kandy were chosen from San Francisco nonprofit Friends of the Children and University of California’s San Francisco Children’s Hospital.

Kids @ Candy Land
Photo Credit: (Ted Weinstein/SFist)

The stunt got tons of attention from San Francisco tourists and was covered by numerous radio, TV, and newspapers outlets. It’s safe to say that everyone had fun and Candy Land’s maker Hasbro deserves a big kudos for this – pardon the pun – sweet campaign.

Pelotonia Bike Tour: Fundraising Meets Out-of-Home

by DOmedia on August 25, 2009 in Advertising, Alternative advertising, Billboards, Branding campaigns, DOmedia, Events, News, People, Sponsorships with No comments

Pelotonia Logo

This summer marks the beginning of an exciting & life-changing annual fundraiser here in Columbus, Ohio. Pelotonia, founded and funded by NetJets, is the grass roots bike tour raising money for cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. In fact, 100% of funds raised go directly to cancer research at The James!

So what does this have to do with out-of-home advertising? In a (successful) attempt to get its message out to the community, Pelotonia literally dominated the out-of-home industry here in Columbus using media ranging from empty storefront ads and floor graphics to street furniture and digital signage. Ads were placed along busy highways, around the Ohio State University campus area (home to thousands of students & businesses), and the Arena District (home to many young — and young-at-heart — professionals and businesses, not to mention our Columbus Clippers baseball team & Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team).

The most impressive of all, perhaps, is the domination of the Columbus airport by Pelotonia & The James. The images below explain the campaign’s effectiveness better than words. Quality, quantity and, most of all, creativity made this effort impossible to miss.

The bike tour takes place this weekend, consisting of four routes spanning 25, 50, 100 and 180 miles. Over 2,100 people have committed to riding–including Lance Armstrong!

If you’re interested in contributing, please check out our DOmedia peloton where you can donate to our ride up until October 31st. Every donation helps!

UNICEF’s Dirty Water Campaign uses alternative media to raise awareness and funds

by DOmedia on July 29, 2009 in Advertising, Agencies, Alternative advertising, Uncategorized with No comments

Thanks to our friends at Media Life Magazine for highlighting this clever use of alternative media by UNICEF’s Tap Project. The campaign featured a vending machine labeled “Dirty Water” in New York City’s Union Square in an effort to educate about the lack of clean drinking water in so many Third World countries around the world. The vending machine gave people the option of purchasing a multitude of Dirty Water flavors – from Malaria to Typhoid to Dengue Fever. Yuck!

Dirty Water - Vending Machine

Luckily, no one bought (or drank) a bottle of Dirty Water, but many were compelled to donate to this meaningful cause by inserting bills and change directly into the machine. The campaign also allowed people to donate with their phone by texting TAP to 864233 (UNICEF) – another great example of alternative media and SMS text messaging integration.

Props to the creative folks at Casanova Pendrill for coming up with this campaign and donating their time too. Great work!