No real theme this week, other than these are things that have caught my eye recently. Some are sites. Some are ideas. And some are applications. Incoherent, but just go with it…
Many thanks to Springwise, the IAB, the FWA and Trendspotting for their inspiration.
Type Flash (http://www.typeflash.com/)
Does what it says on the tin, really. You type text in, select the colour, the effects, the background etc. and then save it. Hey presto – an instant Flash banner. It is a bit weird to get the handle of (if anyone can work out where saved objects are stored, please let me know), but it is pretty cool.
Phone-controlled gaming on a jumbotron
Megaphone has devised a novel way to make mega-screen advertisements draw crowds. Anyone within view of a large video display managed by Megaphone can join in a simple video game by calling in with their cell phones, with their phones serving as makeshift game controllers. As a video on Megaphone’s website demonstrates, those linked into the game can fire weapons at space-alien attackers while seeing their own avatar along with those of other players.
Megaphone’s founders note that their current games offer only a hint at what’s possible. They see applications for their interactive displays in clubs, concerts, movie theatres, sports stadiums and urban locations such Times Square in New York. Personally, I was thinking about its potential use at Careers Fairs (finding companies, downloading information, registering your interest etc.), Seminars (mobile voting). The possibilities are endless.
The essential appeal is audience participation on a massive scale. Participants get a sense they’re contributing to a larger effort, in the same way stadium goers continue to enjoy creating the wave during sporting events. With multitudes of users participating, everyone also retains some needed anonymity. And Megaphone is yet another example of harnessing cell phones to enhance a marketing effort.
Nature Speaks (http://www.gluelondon.com/showcase/2007/creativeshowcaseoctober.html)
This month’s IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) Creative Showcase winner. glue London is trying to convey the positive environmental effect of Virgin’s new Pendolino trains without being patronising or turning customers off. I have to confess, I’m not a huge fan. I think it comes across as patronising and an uninventive use of the media. However, if anyone can persuade me to see otherwise, I’ll be happy to buy them a drink.
LifeAt
Launched in March 2007, LifeAt offers property managers a turnkey solution for launching a ‘nethood’ for their building. So far, over 335 buildings have joined. The property websites are private and password protected, for use by residents only. Besides offering a platform where residents can meet and communicate, sites also allow users to post classified ads and rate and review local businesses. In addition, property managers post news about vacancies and maintenance work.
By connecting people who tend to share not only a building but also similar socioeconomic backgrounds, and offering them a source of hyperlocal information, LifeAt is creating valuable links between cyberspace and ‘meatspace’. The concept is likely to find a wider audience now that people of all ages are getting used to sharing information online. Free for residents, LifeAt charges buildings a one-off fee of around USD $6,000 to create and launch a site. Also check out Neighborology, Neighbours.ie, and townconnect.com.