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Sony launches HD marketing blitz in Europe
Sony's no stranger to launching controversial marketing campaigns around the globe, and it looks like Europe will become the firm's next victim. As high-definition technology gains ground overseas, Sony is reportedly readying a "major Pan-European marketing campaign to demonstrate the breadth and depth of HD offerings and to educate consumers about the intricacies of HD." The advertising will be seen on television, in cinemas, in stores, and even online, meaning that you'll be hard pressed to evade the Apricot Poodle "Experiment" commercial (glimpsed on the right) unless you go Amish for a month or so. Of course, considering the recent reports of Blu-ray disparity, we bet Sony will do its part to back the BDA all the while.[Via TechDigest]
Text-based advertisements favored in UK research study
Let's face it: the prototypical handset user isn't apt to favor advertising much at all, but a recent research study commissioned by mobile media publisher MoMac found that owners seemed to prefer the tried and true text-based flavor when all was said and done. More specifically, 56-percent of the 1,400 surveyed favored text-based ads, while picture / banner ads came in as the second most popular with a thumbs-up given by some 29-percent of respondents. Interestingly, a quarter of the males in the crowd preferred video advertising over all other methods, and the 16-to-24 age group was found to like video ads nearly twice as much as those 55 years or older. So, how's about you, dear readers? Do the less invasive text-based plugs gather your love more often than those oh-so-tempting videos?[Image courtesy of TheRawFeed]
Gratis RFID umbrellas track movements, excite marketers
Dutch Umbrella -- a startup focusing its efforts in and around the city of brotherly love -- is looking to take the idea of courtesy umbrella rentals to a new level by incorporating RFID tags and marketers. Currently, the firm has landed eight partners that will toss logos on the stark white umbrellas and utilize the tantalizing tracking information that gets recorded each time a rainy day encourages patrons to grab some cover. Merchants are required to pony up $100 per month in order to receive the marketing intelligence, and can then use it to determine where umbrella carriers go once the downpour begins in order to better position future ads. Unfortunately, we tend to hear that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but there's probably not much truth to that.[Via DailyWireless]
Nissan's Dualis mech caught on video
How do you sell a crossover SUV in Japan? Apparently you build a mammoth mech with wheels on his heels and let it have free reign in the city. Nissan is looking to hype up its Dualis vehicle over in Ginza by making appearnaces alongside the ride as well as blazing through parking garages and fuel stations. The black and silver machine was reportedly created by Shoji Kawamori, and will be on display at various locales in Japan from now until July 1st. Of course, this is marketing we're talking about, and this fellow can seriously fly on these "hidden camera captures," so feel free to click on through to see a few questionable videos of this 3.5-meter tall monster (supposedly) wheeling about.[Via PinkTentacle]
Japanese vending machine offers free drinks for watching ads
In a marketing case that just sounds too good to be true, vending masters Apex Corp. have purportedly laid out plans that will bring free or subsidized non-alcoholic beverage to thirsty consumers who are willing to watch a 30-second commercial before partaking. Aiming to launch next month in Japan, the MediCafe project will give users the option of plunking down the ¥70 ($0.58) to ¥120 ($1) required to purchase an item, or watching an advertisement for half a minute while the machine dispenses their liquid of choice. It was noted that not all drinks would be free, as some advertisers would only be offering up discounts in exchange for your attention, but this still sounds like a much more legitimate way to receive gratis soft drinks than other alternatives we've seen.[Via PlasticBamboo]
Cox disables ad skipping on ABC and ESPN VOD content
The constant battle between impatient television viewers and disgruntled providers got a shot of adrenaline today, as Walt Disney's two biggest channels have inked a deal with Cox Communications that is sure to simultaneously appease marketers and enrage customers. Reportedly, Cox will now begin to "disable the fast-forward feature that allows viewers to skip ads" in both ABC and ESPN video-on-demand, meaning that users who choose to view older programming via Cox's VOD channels can smash the FF button 'til their heart's content and get nowhere. Of course, users who actually set their DVR to record said content at its normal airing time are still free (for the moment, at least) to blaze right on through those annoying blips commercials, which means that you should probably become a lot more disciplined in your DVR scheduling if you belong to Cox. The worst (or best, depending on perspective) part is the precedent that this sets, as now the door is gaped wide open for more and more providers to grab the reigns of our DVRs and dictate just how far we push the notion of timeshifting. [Warning: Read link requires subscription][Via TechMeMe]
Front Design's Changing Cupboard displays pixelated art
While we've seen hordes of clever marketing gimmicks in the past, a few involving those flipping signs that rotate through various spots, Front Design is taking the billboard approach to a cupboard in an attempt to showcase a new form of art. The aptly-dubbed Changing Cupboard rocks a bevy of turnable panels on an everyday piece of furniture, but due to special effects that aren't entirely disclosed, it can flip squares over to constantly evolve into a new piece of design. Of course, the pixel morphing unit makes a whole lot more sense when you see it motion, so go on, click through for a peek of your own.[Via CubeMe]
Solo's bus stop ad enables life-size chatting with strangers
Hot on the heels of Nokia's own bus stop gimmick comes none other than Solo, which has erected a clever display on a number of waiting areas to allow perfect strangers to yap it up on giant mobiles. The interactive billboards each sport a larger-than-usual flip phone, which allows curious onlookers to mash an enlarged walkie talkie button and get on the horn with a faraway stranger. The active two-way radio setup was reportedly installed in transit shelters in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary, and the system supposedly connects users in the different cities to one another when a conversation is initiated. Unfortunately, Engadget HQ doesn't happen to reside in the land of the Canucks, so for our brethren in the north, why not stop on by and give a shout to a fellow Canadian, eh?[Via Core77]
2007 E3 attendee list lookin' bleak
Remember those suffocating crowds and the completely non-game-related overload that eventually caused a restructuring at E3? If not, we certainly do, and you won't find us complaining about a more focused approach for 2007. Of course, toning down the antics inevitebly leads to less attendees, and such looks to be the case for the July convention in Santa Monica, CA. Reportedly, a paltry 32 companies are signed up to take part in this year's festivities (larger list after the jump), but big-timers such as Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Electronic Arts, and Square Enix (just to name a few) will still be making the hike. Still, going from some 400 exhibitors to less than 40 in a single year should make for a very different experience when July 11th rolls around, and considering that "only 3,000 to 4,000 invitations" will purportedly be sent out, getting a little hands-on time with an actual game will hopefully be less of a chore for the ones that get in.[Via ArsTechnica]
Nokia installs clever touchscreen game to market N95
These days, it really takes something special to catch to eye of the desensitized market, and Nokia's shifting the focus back to the consumer with its lighthearted touchscreen game at a London bus stop. The interactive advertisement requests that the player flip the pockets in order to find matches, but it also insinuates that the sleek Nokia N95 smartphone is just too slim and inconspicuous to readily pick out. Of course, we highly doubt it's all that difficult to spot after a flip or two, but the idea here is novel nonetheless. If nothing else, it sure breaks up the boredom (or frustration) felt whilst waiting on the next bus, so be sure to click on through for a video of the thing so you'll know it when you cross it.[Via FreshCreation]
XM hit with false advertising lawsuit over "commercial free" claims
Talk about a company that can't stay out of the courtroom. Yet again, we've got XM headed back for another round of sticky legal action, and while we highly doubt the firm's lawyers are done digesting the NMPA suit from less than a month ago, now it's being forced to deal with an Arkansas man's allegations in US District Court. Matthew Enderlin is apparently quite upset with XM's "false claims of commercial free music," as he adumbrates that the channels actually do include "promotional and advertisement segments." Unsurprisingly, XM has said the suit is "without merit," but Mr. Enderlin isn't backing down; au contraire, he's actually seeking to "have the suit certified as a class-action suit so all XM Radio customers can be considered plaintiffs." Bet you weren't expecting to join in on the fun yourself, eh?[Via Orbitcast]
Xerox wants to extract demographic information from web surfers
The age of Big Brother everywhere is certainly upon us, and while we've seen (or at least heard of) tracking devices being implanted in the most unusual of places, it looks like Xerox is hoping to join the devilish fray. In an attempt to craft a demographic extractor to garner marketing dollars galore, a recently filed patent application spells out a system that utilizes software (and potentially hardware) to map users to "centroid vectors" which would determine a person's age, sex, and other "private" information simply based on their website visits. Interestingly, test cases are reportedly showing a respectable "75-percent accuracy rate" so long as a "sufficient number of pages were visited." Still, we can't imagine any tracing technology would be lawfully allowed behind the backs of law-abiding citizens (right?), but considering that even your TiVo has the potential to sell your soul to lucrative ad agencies, we wouldn't put it past 'em.[Via ArsTechnica]
Konami slot machines pulled for subliminal messaging
While we've seen quite a few instances where shifty gamblers got the boot, this time it's the slot machines participating in a mass exodus of Canadian casinos. In another tale of misguided marketing garnering awful PR, Ontario's provincial gambling operator has "pulled 87 video slot machines out of service or physically removed them from its casinos" after an investigation found some tricky imagery hidden within. Apparently, a number of Konami slot machines flashed "winning jackpot symbols" for a fifth of a second every so often, purportedly giving players "subliminal messages" that would keep them chucking away coins for longer periods of time. Comically, Konami is asserting that the flashing images are simply a "software glitch" that will be fixed shortly, which leaves us wondering what else could be ailing these machines for the betterment of the establishment. Regardless, the Ontario-based discovery has spawned several other investigations in the US, British Columbia, and Quebec, but it has "yet to be determined" if the flashing imagery has effected the gameplay of addicts professional gamblers.[Via Konami]
TiVo's StopWatch to offer up precise viewer statistics
TiVo's transformation from a ad-skipper's best friend to an ad agency's biggest asset is nearly complete, as the firm's StopWatch system is aimed to provide "second-by-second" viewing data which Nielsen has refused to offer thus far. While the company went public about its intentions to become an ad-friendly platform awhile back, it looks like the time has come for its voyeuristic service to go live, as it begins marketing a system to carefully watch its 4.5 million or so customers whiz through commercials and schedule season recordings. This indeed marks the "first time a syndicated ratings service has detailed live and time-shifted viewing data on a second-by-second basis," which advertisers should absolutely drool over. Notably, Starcom has already signed on as TiVo's first taker, and with the amount of critical data now available to media agencies, we hardly believe it'll be the last. So the next time you crank up your TiVo and cruise on by every single costly commercial on your favorite recorded drama, take comfort in the fact that Big Brother is taking notes on a moment-by-moment basis.[Via PVRWire]
Microsoft patents DVR application to provide targeted advertising
While Microsoft isn't exactly the first name we'd guess to be associated with a new DVR tidbit, the firm has nonetheless filed a patent for "DVR-based targeted advertising." Apparently, Microsoft's idea is to eliminate the "dilemma" that DVR users purportedly face when watching shows a week or so after its original air date. Since many commercials (like weekend sales) are time sensitive, viewing last week's ads today isn't likely to do you any favors if the information is already outdated. Microsoft is hoping to come to the rescue by establishing an "advertisement data store," from which an "advertisement manager" detects when an ad is supposed to be shown and fills that spot with a current, up-to-date spot so you witness fresh plugs during old shows. Although the concept is at least somewhat sound, the folks at Redmond presumably don't spend much time surveying actual DVR owners, as they'd probably find that a good percentage of them utilize that fast forward button as much as possible, regardless of how "fresh" the ad they're cruising through actually is.[Via PVRWire]
