In case you hadn’t noticed, the World Cup started last Friday and predictably, there’s been no shortage of big brands jumping on the bandwagon to empathise with fans’ excitement – with varying degrees of success.

Google, recently voted the world’s most valuable brand for the fourth consecutive year, has also climbed aboard. Before the tournament kicked off they made sure that all of the World Cup stadia were added to Google Street View.

Now the tournament is under way, they’ve subtly changed the way search results are presented when users search using the keyword ‘world cup’. At the bottom of the search page, instead of seeing the normal ‘Goooooooooogle’ page index, users see ‘Gooooooooooal!’ instead. Yesterday’s results and today’s fixtures are also directly displayed under the search box – very useful to your average football fan.

Interestingly, Microsoft’s Bing have tried a similar thing, but their effort seems a bit half-hearted in comparison.

Google’s changes may be subtle, but they’re an effective way of strengthening their brand in the eyes of users by portraying Google’s empathetic excitement towards the tournament with fans around the globe.

As we all know, Google has been cleverly changing their logo on their homepage for years to celebrate the dates of key events and this practice has proved very popular with users, strengthening their brand. These occasional changes will probably continue, but with the general online trend of users visiting search homepages less and less, as search becomes more and more integrated into web browsers and the wider web, their impact will reduce.  Expect to see more little touches to specific search result pages from Google in the future as a result.

Grace Slick’s famous quote about the 60’s could be more narrowly applied to many gigs and festivals of this or any year.

I’ve been to quite a few (ever since my first one which was Kula Shaker at the Leicester De Montfort Hall, oh dear) and other than the really recent ones, I actually struggle to remember most of them. This is probably down to a combination of the time that’s elapsed since I went and my alcohol consumption when I was there, but given the amount of time and budget I’ve invested, this is a bit of a shame.

The only token reminder I do have of most of these events is in the form of a sad little collection of tickets in an old shoebox, but while they confirm my attendance, they don’t actually remind me of the experience itself.

I’m sure most music fans would empathise with me and in their heart of hearts wish they could remember a lot more about the live events they’ve been to.

What was the atmosphere like? What was the set list? Did the band play any new songs for the first time? Was it actually any good? God knows.

A story on the radio (digital radio since you ask) the other day caught my attention as it mentioned a company who are trying to satisfy this demand for a more engaging music souvenir, one that not only will help you remember a set list, but what it sounded like.

Musicnetworx have come up with the ‘Simfy live’ product , a USB stick containing a recording of the live show recorded at the event itself and available for punters to buy as they leave it. If this sounds a little lo-fi, the recording is also made available online as a download.

Such a product not only satisfies consumer demand for a ‘richer’ gig souvenir, but also serves as an extra revenue stream for the touring artist – in theory everybody wins.

Quite a few bands are getting involved, with Kiss signing up for their most recent tour and Iggy Pop, Elton John and a few others also signing up.

The price point is a little high (£20 odd quid) which might be a bit prohibitive and mean it’s more appropriate for the older, more affluent fan base (hence the artists above I guess), but if it proves successful this price will no doubt reduce over time.

Personally, I’d give it a go (not for Kiss though as I’ve seen them live and they’re RUBBISH) if I thought I’d been to a great gig and it was something I wanted to look back on or re-experience. Music fans are also a bit collectible crazy which only adds to the product’s appeal for them.

A slight issue might be that your opinion of a gig might change when you play it back a few weeks later and hear it sober for the first time. Without the benefit of the more usual, fuzzy, rose-tinted gig glasses you might suddenly realise that the show was a load of crap and massively over-hyped – something I’ve always suspected about the 60’s to be honest, sorry Grace.

While tucking into some ‘Flamin’ Hot’ Monster Munch this week, I noticed the top left hand corner of the pack… ‘New! OLD! Bigger like they used to be!’.

It’s really rare to see a brand shouting about taking a step backwards in an age of constant product refinement and improvement. Walkers have clearly been listening to their consumers who have no doubt been telling them that they preferred the older, bigger version of Monster Munch (as I did). To their credit, it seems Walkers have taken action.

With the world of digital facilitating conversation between brands and consumers more than ever before, it’s imperative that brands show their audience that they’re listening to their opinions. This is a great example of a brand doing just that.

Consumers are bombarded with lots of messaging that proclaims the benefit of  a ‘new’ product, so for Walkers to be shouting about ‘Old’ might also give them some stand out.

The Old Spice Manmercial series has been responsible for some of the funniest, most memorable ads of recent years.

Their unique style mixes vintage pitchman hucksterism with irreverent comedy, testosterone charged product testimonials, and a catchy whistley jingle.

Oh and uh they’ve been pretty effective too.

The rebranding has helped raise the Old Spice brand out of grandaddy’s coffin and into the armpits of the cool kids (Who tend to carry more disposable income).

This series kicked off about three years ago, but the real breakthrough didnt happen until this year’s Superbowl when Wieden + Kennedy unleashed their opus, ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ starring, former NFLer, Isaiah Mustafa.

It’s pretty damn good, but when you see the rest of the ads you’ll realise it’s just one of many.

So without further text, here are ‘The Other Top 8 Old Spice Manmercials from W+K’ in descending numerical order (because that’s what the pro blogger fellows say)

8. Arm Wrestling

7. The Will Ferrell ‘Jackie Moon’ Series

6. Dumb

5. Is it right for me?

4. Sliding ad

3. Armpit Mountain

2. Centaur

1. Different Scents For Different Gents

Didn’t waste enough time watching all of these? Check out some more at Old Spice’s YouTube Channel here

Or perhaps you think a different rebrand has been more successful over the past 5 years…

State your case as a comment below or I’ll assume personal victory.

I’m going to be Social Media’s answer to Jeremy Kyle, Kilroy or maybe Trisha. I will be chairing an event at the IAB for the Social Media Council and I will do my best to uphold the humble British tradition of chat-show host.

In July 2008 the IAB launched the Social Media Council – a group comprising all the UK’s major players in this space, established to help advertisers fully understand the formats available, and how to use them.

The IAB holds regular panel discussions to work through in an open forum the pressing issues and how to make most of opportunities and to work out the best way to provide value through social media.

As part of Social Media Week the IAB will be holding a discussion entitled…

The importance of picking your battles online: when, where and why should brands respond to consumers in social media?

“Years ago if consumers were dissatisfied with a product, service or particular brand, they simply told a friend, wrote a letter to Which? magazine or participated in a ‘That’s Life’ phone-in. Now, in a digital era dominated by online reviews, blogs, Facebook groups and Twitter feeds, the consumer voice is louder than ever, and brands are being discussed (behind their backs) at length.

Our panel of experts will provide case studies and practical guidance, encourage debate and answer questions on when we should listen to unhappy customers online, when we should get them involved in our brand campaigns and whether the noise of a few vocal, unhappy customers makes any difference to the bottom line.”

The panel will consist of:

• James Turnbull, senior marketing manager, British Gas
• Ronnie Brown, marketing director, Outside Line
• Robin Grant, managing director, we are social
• Iain MacMillan, CEO, RMM
• James Bromley, Managing Director, Mail Online
• Cheryl Calverley, Senior Global Brand Manager, Axe Skin

I’d like your suggestions on which classic British chat-show host to emulate and I’m also keen to hear your the questions that you’d like to level at the panel.

tom@skive.co.uk

@ale_2point0

What’s the best communication tool to promote your small business?

A website?  Rich banners?  A blog?  How about chalk…

It’s not very often that you come across a business bursting with personality.

Every day on my way to work I walk past The Scandinavian Kitchen, a café specialising in awesomeness (awesomeness is Swedish for meatball)…. Not really, but every day they make me smile with their cheeky / witty chalk board messages.

“Herring a good day”

“We don’t sell Swedes, but some of us are”

“Take 3 topless Scandanavians to the park”

“Smorgasbording is not a sport”

Established by partners Jonas (a Swede) and Bronte (a Dane) two and a half year ago (one day before their first child was born!) this is a café to pay attention to.

Matt [@HirsuteGent] and I paid Jonas a visit today to chat about the business, chalk boards, and hugs…

On the chalk board

Lots of small cafés in the area keep a chalk board outside to attract customers – Reynolds, Bagel Mania, to name a few.  But none of them talk about topless sandwiches.

Jonas sees the board as setting the tone for business: friendly, warm, cheeky and fun.  Indeed, the culture is more like a pub, but friendlier and with coffee, breakfast and lunch instead of beer, vodka, nuts and drunk, loud men…

Essentially the chalk board breaks down any barriers to entry.  The first time I saw it, it me want to go inside and hang out.  It didn’t even matter what they were selling, I just liked the tone of voice.

On food

That said, “We can’t just be friendly and feed you shit,” says Jonas.

True that.

Yes, they have a quirky personality, but the quality needs to be there, too.  In addition to selling the famously delicious  Monmouth coffee, they offer a range of soups, sandwiches, cakes and pastries.  They’ve also got loads of grocery products from Scandinavia (for anyone jonesing for some brunost).  Most of the products are Swedish (because there are more Swedes living in London than Danes or Norwegians) but they’ve also got food from Denmark and Norway.  My go-to is a little chocolate called Plop, for obvious reasons…

On hugs

Scandi Kitchen’s loyalty program is also friendlier than the competition.  After 5 coffee stamps you’re rewarded with a hug.  After 10 you get a free coffee.  I lucked out today and was treated to a Scandi sandwich…

Being in Britain, though, some customers do take a pass, but they’re missing out.  To date, Jonas claims they’ve given out 5.5 million hugs.  That’s a lot of love!

Online

Finally, Scandi Kitchen’s online presence spans a website, blog and Facebook Page (with 995 members).

The site extends the same cheeky “chalk board humour”:

“We let the Finns in on this one, even if most of them technically don’t consider themselves Scandinavians; we figured they might want to pop in at some stage to discuss ice hockey, Eurovision Song Contest and skiing”.

Jonas sees the blog as an extension of the chalk board, where people can visit and get a taste of Scandi’s fun personality and what they’ve got going on.

Remaining on brand, posts often focus on Scandinavian happenings, such as the way new is reported in Denmark:

As well as non-Scandi related content, like ads that feature people who look like they’re …

The Scandinavian Kitchen is located at 61 Great Titchfield Street in London.  If you’re in the area, do  yourself a stop by for a coffee and a hug.

Every couple of weeks, workload permitting, we have a bit of show-and-tell in the Creative Department called Crunch (creative+lunch), which is a chance for the team to share their inspiration as well as thoughts on work across all media, good or bad.

It was interesting to see that amongst the clever experiential campaigns, striking illustration portfolios, inspiring digital interaction and the latest from CP+B, WK or Goodby was some good old fashioned print.

I’ve been an admirer of the recent Dixons print campaign by M&C Saatchi since it launched in September. Few brands attempt long copy ads (I can only remember VW and Ford in the last six months) but I think these are great – a perfect mix of placement, message and media (the London Underground is where I’ve encountered them).

At the heart of the campaign is good planning insight: people increasingly shop for goods online but quite like to see the products in the flesh first (it was predicted that 93% of consumers planned to shop for their Christmas gifts online in 2009 according to eDigital Research). The strapline makes you think twice because it’s seemingly negative: “Dixons.co.uk. The last place you want to go.” Then there’s the creative itself, playfully sending up John Lewis, Selfridges and Harrods, which has naturally incensed the high street giants and generated a bit of healthy PR in the process. And it also shows Dixons know their place – not in our hearts but perhaps in our wallets.

But it’s the Christmas iteration I really like, which was also voiced by David Mitchell for radio. The fonts in the other ads nod to the brands they’re riffing, but this last is more generic and the resulting page is straight from Dickens, replete with odious caricature in Cedric Prattletwerp. Lovely.

I still wouldn’t shop at Dixons.co.uk if you nailed my balls to a chair…

We’re currently working on a number of Augmented Reality projects which should see the light of day in the New Year. We were also recently approached by prestigious design magazine Wallpaper, to produce a series of Augmented Reality applications for their very first AR issue.

We didn’t have very long to build them and there was a fair bit of overtime involved but the end result was worth it. The piece was directed by Noah Harris at Blinkart with 3D modelling by Glassworks.

So rush out and buy the magazine and then go here to interact with the applications.

Over the past couple of months I’ve had the chance to get in a bit of research and development time with Unity, and one of the areas I have looked at is Augmented Reality. By far the most entertaining experiment so far has been my “AR Driving” demo. It could be said that this particular demo isn’t strictly AR (because it doesn’t overlay graphics on the video stream) but still, it uses AR technology to map the orientation of an AR marker to the steering, acceleration and braking of a car. I recently demoed it in our London office, result: Fun!

The demo works by reading the orientation of a single AR marker printed on an A4 sheet. The sheet is folded so that the marker is visible to the camera on one side, and a steering wheel image is visible on the other side – so the user knows which way up to hold the paper!

The rotation around the Z axis (as in, turning the steering wheel) is mapped to the car steering, although not entirely linearly – in order to make the controls easy to use it required a few tweaks, such as smoothing out the sometimes jittery raw data, and giving bias to a ‘not-quite-dead zone’ around the zero-degrees rotation area to make it easier to drive the car in a straight line.

The acceleration and braking controls are implemented by reading the “tilt” of the marker around the X axis. Holding the marker straight-on to the camera gives the equivalent of a steady gentle press on the accelerator. Tilting the top edge towards the camera pushes down the accelerator, while tilting it away releases the accelerator completely and applies the brakes.

The final result is a fairly intuitive driving control, and most people who had a try in the office seemed to find the car responsive and easy to control on their first try, as the video shows!

After the success of my Augmented Reality business card application I was fortunate enough to be invited to Adobe MAX 2009 in LA by the O’Reilly guys, to talk about my experiences with AR. Here are my impressions of the conference.

The keynote kicked the conference off with a real bang. These initial talks are renowned for being fairly dull affairs but Adobe pulled out all the stops to make this one something to behold. It started with an incredible dance performance by one of Adobe’s charitable endeavours, the Peapod academy. A discussion on the developments of the Flash platform followed. This included discussions of the new features built into AIR, a sneak look into the the latest developments in the openscreen project and a discussion of ColdFusion and LiveCycle with a look at some extraordinary enterprise projects. The climax was the announcement (after a hilarious Apple slanging Myth-Busters take off) that Apple was now accepting Flash applications into the App store. Now this isn’t exactly Flash in the iPhone browser but it’s certainly a positive step forward.

But by far the most awe-inspiring spectacle was the extended screener of James Cameron’s Avatar. A pair of 3D glasses, a 6th row seat and a massive 50ft screen heightened the experience to the point where I literally shivered in my seat. The producer John Landau passionately introduced each scene and discussed the extent to which Adobe software was used in the making of the movie.

Although there was a vast amount of sessions, as an interactive artist and non-Flex using Actionscript developer, I initially struggled to fill my schedule. There was a whole host of top flight Flash developers such as Ralph Hauwert and Andre Michell (regulars on the Flash conference circuit) missing from the list. However, the day before the conference started, I learned that Influxis had flown a bunch of them over to talk at the FITC Unconference sessions. For me, this development filled several gaps and led to my schedule being significantly reshuffled.

My main highlights included:

Joshua Davis was as inspirational and entertaining as ever in his Space talk. His latest experiments and influences were explained with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm, impressive for a 9am slot. I enjoyed watching the developments of each project from initial idea through to the finished product. His investigation into bezier curves was fantastic, as was his installation and iPhone work. This will be Joshua’s last speaking engagement for 2 years as he plans to have a well deserved rest.

Being an Augmented Reality monkey, I was inevitably going to end up attending Tomohiko Koyama AKA Saqoosha and Yoshihiro Shindo’s talk on FLARToolkit and the Japanese open source Flash community the Spark Project. It was great to hear about the history of the project and the inner workings of the AR library from the guy who wrote it. Almost as impressive was the huge tea-cosy like bear hat that he wore throughout the talk and for the rest of the day. I had a chat with Saqoosha afterwards and gushed like a schoolgirl whist droning on about how much I loved using his code library. He didn’t seem to mind. Nice guy.

A few great FITC Unconference sessions followed. Seb-Lee Delisle wowed us all with his playful work. Highlights of the talk included a look at his 5kb 3D Lunar Lander game, a walk through his fantastic 3D Big and Small website and participating in a 3D version of Pong with the rest of the audience. Ralph Hauwert was up next. Ralph is one of, if not the top 3D Flash developer on the planet. By the end we were all stunned by his experiments with fluidic, dynamically lit, interactive geometric shapes. And all this in Flash, and at a very high frame rate. Koen de Weggheleire was up next with a talk on some of the latest features in Flash Player 10. He deserves a special mention for dancing around like a crazed baboon to cheesy house music whilst demonstrating the TriangleMesh feature. Sheer entertainment.

The Adobe MAX awards ceremony followed with special guest Mark Hamill. An inspired choice considering the crowd, Hamill was highly entertaining throughout. We left before the sneak peaks to get ready for the evening but I was later reliably informed that one of the Adobe guys did some live coding dressed in a Chewbacca costume. Wild.

The MAX Bash followed and was an impressive affair. Adobe had taken over almost every establishment in the L.A. Live park. In addition to a Star Wars themed area, complete with Chubacca and Darth Vadar exhibits, Mark Hamill joined the party and was predictably mobbed the moment he arrived. Later that night we met up with some great guys from Sapient and had a ball at the Latin club.

The following morning was my talk, Augmented Reality in the Flash Player with Jesse Freeman. Both halves went very well, we got an above average rating and there were plenty of questions and positive feedback afterwards. Jesse introduced the FLARToolkit library and discussed some of his own work with limitations and the future of FLAR. My half was a discussion of my experiences with FLAR and a discussion of promotion in the field My advice for anyone planning a presentation – make sure you have lots of comical images in your slide show. There’s nothing like a few cheap gags to get the audience on your side. A bit of research is also useful.

I’m pleased to say that we had an above average rating for the talk and had a great write up on digitalarts.co.uk.

Breathing a huge sigh of relief after, I ventured out to see a few of the other MAX talks. The best of the day was A Deep Dive into 10 Innovative Projects for Flash by Thibault Imbert and Michaël Chaize. Some of the better projects were Tomek Augustyn’s face tracking library, HiSlope, due for release soon, and the WiiFlash server which allows Flash developers to use WiiMotes, Nunchuks and Wii Boards as input devices. Another great talk included Kevin Hoyt’s Integrating Flash and Hardware. In a nutshell this session explained how to use a variety of different sensors in Flash using electronics equipment. A must for any aspiring installation artist.

Although initially it was a struggle to find relevant sessions, I was consistently impressed with the scale and quality of the event, the welcoming and informative staff and (in the end) the range of talks on Flash. My fiance Juliet Lall accompanied me, and found the talks on After Effects and Illustrator to be very helpful. I would definitely recommend Adobe MAX to the typical user of Adobe’s range of software. And if Influxis continue to invite the top Flash guys I would recommend it to the atypical rest.