real conversations

I just saw this over at the ad pit:



There are more entertaining pieces of content out there, but the idea is first class. Instead of sitting in a room thinking about what they could say to people, the folk behind this (W+K, I believe?) decided to actually engage with the fans of the Tiger Woods game.

They simply created a video response to a fan's video on YouTube.

See how easy it is when you strip away all the bollocks and just interact with people.

Imagine the thrill of the person that posted that video. He's a fan for life now.

You could easily imagine a dialogue developing between fans and EA in this environment.

Excellent.

P.s. If it turns out the original fan video was planted, then I retract some of the above and say "Why I oughta..."

i like it. can you make it less interactive?

I had a thought the other day. It's not an amazing thought, so to make it appear more amazing, I'm going to present it in a "high-potency insight". If nothing else, it'll make people cleverer than me disagree passionately in the comments section and then maybe we'll all learn something:

"Make traditional comms more interactive and make digital comms less interactive"

*Strokes chin*

As many people have pointed out; some more elegantly than others, 'there's a lot of stuff out there'. It's very tempting with digital comms to make things as interactive and immersive as possible. Clients of course want their consumers to dump their partners, lose interest in the guitar, forget Facebook exists and spend their afternoons toying with some product-related game or 'community'.

But there's too much stuff asking too much of us. I want the 'Lite' version of everything - especially online. Arguably, it's a smarter tactic to ask for 5 seconds of someone's time every day than to try to squeeze out 20 minutes out of them just once or twice. If I had had more coffee today I would go off on a ramble about the band-aid culture of marketing in general. Not today.

But there's also ways to slim things down without reducing interactivity. it requires a more sensitive approach...

This is brilliant.

And it's a perfect analogy for how all digital communications should be. OK not all. But a lot. It's an onion and you peel away the layers as you see fit. The very existence of the layers act as a hook too. Give it to me quick and let me know there's more.

I'm done. Any more and I'm in danger of looking like I have a conclusion. rant over.

the web is a woman

I like this analogy. Len Ellis on digital marketing:

Unlike representation which pushes messages out, simulation pulls visitors in; unlike the “masculine” tradition of targeting, capturing and penetrating, the Web requires a “feminine” approach of attracting, listening and involving.

Via the excellent Max Kalehoff

Advergaming Top Ten

Advergames are online games designed to spread marketing messages.

There aren’t many brands out there doing it well, but I’ve pulled together what I believe to be the Advergaming Top Ten:


1. Subservient Chicken - Burger King
The king of advergames. Command the chicken man. Simple and brilliant.

2. Lust For Bust - Miller
Cop a look at your mate’s sister’s chest. A good lesson for advergame makers: Simple. Crude. True.


3. Sith Sense - Burger King
Copied from an existing prediction game, but great nonetheless. Lord Vader reads your mind. No, really.

4. Rally Game - JoWood / Rally Trophy
A game advertising a game. Make your own Scalextric™-style track and race.

5. Virtual Bartender - Beer.com
Stolen from Subservient Chicken but replaces the chicken man with two scantily clad bartenders.

6. Axe Feather - Axe / Lynx
Typical one-dimensionality from Axe, but has proven to be very popular.

7. Telescope game - Dyson
Addictive, if you’re into puzzle games and centred around a product message… something about telescopes?

8. Mini Jump Game -Mini
Simple mechanic mirrored in several other online games, but somehow quite ‘sticky’

9. Pluck My Tash - BBC Radio Five Live
Pull Mark Lawrence’s hairs out before his moustache can grow back. Why am I still playing this?

10. Buddy Lee, Guidance Councelor - Lee Jeans
This doesn't exist any more. Feel free to suggest a tenth advergame that deserves recognition.