Open The Dialogue

Old Spice Man: Smells Like a Viral Win

The online world has been abuzz this week with the release of videos by The OldSpice Man. This viral sensation started out as video advertisement released via YouTube – something that is fairly common nowadays – but the brand kicked it up a notched by not only creating a fantastically interactive Twitter account, but also creating personalized videos for Tweeting celebrities and common folk alike.

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Advertising That’s QR Code Friendly

Calvin Klein has introduced a new billboard to the Houston Street area containing a large QR code that encourages passerbys to “get uncensored” and scan the code for a video. There are mixed feelings on the billboard – QR code usage is relatively low so the effectiveness of the ad is in question, however, there is no doubt that this may be the beginning of a trend in advertising.

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The Social Network Has Arrived

The first trailer for The Social Network – a movie about the rise and early days of Facebook – has been released.  The trailers gives just enough to entice the audience without being a full-on preview. The social media space is waiting for the premiere with high anticipation.

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Hearst and Zinio Push the iPad

Hearst, a competitor of COnde Nast, has teamed with Zinio – an app newsstand proprietor – to release digital versions of several of their publications includiung Seventeen, Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar. Hearst also plans to leverage Oprah’s magazine and status to increase app usage by allowing readers of Oprah’s powerful book club to read the club’s selections on the iPad.

People use their iPads for various purposes, but most are pretty basic: word processing, email checking, photo uploading, and newspaper or magazine reading.  All of these tasks can be performed on a laptop or desktop, which is part of the reason why I had trouble understanding its purpose at first.  There are a handful of people, however, who really think “outside the box,” so to speak, and not just fiddle with the device, but come up with ways to use or hold it. Some for science, other for entertainment, but all of these variations are very clever.

In Italy, a multimedia exhibit was created in honor of the 20^th anniversary of Dolce & Gabbana’s menswear collection.  The walls of part of the exhibit were lined with iPads that displayed images from a new book “20 Years of Dolce & Gabbana for Men” that could be scrolled through by drawing a hand across the touch screen.

Other variations of ipod holders and stands consist of a wooden frame that amplifies sound, a cardboard arcade cabinet, and a hollowed out iBook or Macintosh Classic.  The iPad also can be attached to a via USB and can be used as an old typewriter.  Science has even taken part in creating an iPad gadget by creating a wireless microscope that delivers video to the device.    It is said that “the expected use of the device is to help users examine skin texture and blemishes on the iPad,” but who knows, it could be used for science and research purposes as well.

Then there’s my personal favorite, the chocolate-covered iPad.  It serves as a doubly-awesome gift as it is both edible and practical.  After being coated and frozen in chocolate, the iPad was still in perfect condition.  The creativity that goes into all of these designs is quite innovative.  I can’t wait to see more that I’m sure are in store in the near future.