Burberry and its latest artist collaboration

In the middle of Dubai’s desert, artist Nathaniel Alapide has etched the sandy landscape with the Thomas Burberry monogram, transposing the dunes as part of the brand’s latest fashion campaign.

The British luxury house collaborated with the Dubai-based Filipino artist as part of its TB Summer Monogram Landscapes series, which apparently took almost a week to create in the Al Faqa desert, a village on the border of Dubai and the eastern region of Abu Dhabi, according to Arab News.

Another image features a series of hot air balloons colouring the sky across the landscape of Wuhai in Inner Mongolia. Four balloons are decorated with different colourway from Burberry’s TB Summer Monogram collection.

‘When you see Wuhai from that height, you will be amazed by the wonder of nature. The Gande’er Mountain and the Yellow River have divided the ecosystem into a desert and a Hetao Plain full of life. You can’t imagine how spectacular the environment is until you are up in the sky,’ said Cheng Peng, Hot Air Balloon Pilot, in a statement.

Elsewhere, a fleet of sailboats glide into Shenzhen Harbour in China – each sail adorned with one of the TB Summer Monogram colourways. A modern reimagination of sporting heritage, reflecting elements that inspired the collection.

Beyond the striking images, the campaign offers a free-spirited exploration of optimism, escapism and our heritage of the outdoors, captured through three breathtaking vistas featuring the Thomas Burberry Monogram.

Here the TB Summer Monogram collection campaign:

Images courtesy Burberry

Audi A8: when design meets technology. An example of dimentional print marketing.

Departures, the glossy magazine for American Express Platinum Card members published by Meredith Corporation, is merging print and digital for a new Audi campaign. To call attention to the 2019 Audi A8, the automaker worked with the magazine’s creative team to produce a special animated insert for 25,000 targeted Departures subscribers, who will get a replica Audi key fob in the mail in a padded envelope along with the November/December issue containing the insert.
It works like this: A reader can use her replica fob to “unlock” the Audi A8 shown in the ad, and an ultrathin microprocessor sandwiched between the glossy cardstock of the insert then activates organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that mimic the way the real-life vehicle’s taillights behave. The ad also activates itself without the key fob when first  open. (See a short demo video below.)

Audi is putting a lot of emphasis on the vehicle’s luxury touches, and considers the new taillight “greeting” to be a signature visual feature of the 2019 A8. It was dreamed up by Audi Design Chief Mark Lichte.
Giulio Capua, vice president and publisher of Departures, tells Ad Age that he and his team wanted to “create something truly innovative and show-stopping” that would offer an “imaginative introduction” to the design-meets-technology message of the car’s launch. Loren Angelo, VP of marketing for Audi of America, says the goal was to not only create something “eye-catching,” but to interactively demonstrate the 2019 A8’s “next-generation lighting design in an entirely new and unique way” that otherwise could only be experienced on the lot of an Audi dealership.
The technology for the ad was produced for Departures by Structural Graphics, an Essex, Connecticut-based expert in what it calls “dimensional print marketing.” Among its greatest hits: an E-Ink execution for the 75th anniversary issue of Esquire 10 years ago.

Source: AdvertisingAge

Renault Italy Is Selling a Limited-Edition SUV Through a Facebook Messenger Chatbot

Renault Italy is bringing 100 of its Captur Tokyo Edition, a limited-edition SUV, to the market—and it will sell them for the first time through a Facebook Messenger chatbot.

To honor the Japanese capital, the French carmaker has introduced the SUV with its own Instagram Stories series, “Tokyo Stories,” conveyed through classic anime storytelling.

Here the video: https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/watch/renault-captur-tokyo-edition/vi-BBOgylT

What’s groundbreaking about the campaign is that for the first time, interested buyers can interact with this “mysterious” character’s Facebook messenger chatbot to directly pre-order one of the limited-edition SUVs.
The above video promoting the campaign tells viewers that “the only way” to get their “hands on” the 100 “pieces” (cars) is to “speak with him.” The “him” seems to be the same mysterious character alluded to in the release, although he doesn’t appear to be all that mysterious.

The animated blond guy with the goatee, who’s wearing a red suit and holding what looks like a Pokemon ball, seems to be the car salesman in this scenario.

The SUV—decked out in Kumo pattern with an embellished roof, mirror covers and interior—was presented today in Milan at the headquarters of Garage Italia.

Instagram Stories reached 400 million daily users in June, far exceeding that of its closest competitor, Snapchat, which boasts just under 200 million daily users. Due to its increasing popularity, Brands are taking advantage of it as a means to reach consumers including by directly linking to their sites to boost sales.

Source: https://www.adweek.com

Brandless, the millennials’ startup that sells everything for $3 …

Brandless, the ‘Procter & Gamble for millennials’ startup that sells everything for $3, is launching a pop-up — but you can’t buy anything.

Brandless sells its own brand goods like packaged food and essential homeware on its website all for $3 each.
The brand is moving into the real world with a popup in LA so customers can interact with the brand in person.
Brandless has expanded categories and tripled its selection to 300 items since launching in July.
Brandless is trying to develop its image.

The online shopping site, which sells food and consumable essentials all for $3 and pitched itself as the “Procter & Gamble for millennials,” first launched in July. The site now has around 300 types of own brand goods – triple the number of items at launch. Many of the items are organic, non-GMO, or gluten free. Think of Brandless as a dollar store for consumables people are looking for.

The brand is now moving into the physical world with a pop-launching in May, called “Popup with a Purpose.” It will be a “three-dimensional experience of the values of what Brandless is really about,” according to CEO and co-founder Tina Sharkey.

The Brandless brand will be on display, but no products will be for sale. Instead, the 3,500 square foot location on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles will be offering samples, and opportunities to “live, learn, and love with intention,” according to a press release.

Brandless sells its own brand goods like packaged food and essential homeware on its website all for $3 each.
The brand is moving into the real world with a popup in LA so customers can interact with the brand in person.
Brandless has expanded categories and tripled its selection to 300 items since launching in July.
Brandless is trying to develop its image.

The online shopping site, which sells food and consumable essentials all for $3 and pitched itself as the “Procter & Gamble for millennials,” first launched in July. The site now has around 300 types of own brand goods – triple the number of items at launch. Many of the items are organic, non-GMO, or gluten free. Think of Brandless as a dollar store for consumables people are looking for.

The brand is now moving into the physical world with a pop-launching in May, called “Popup with a Purpose.” It will be a “three-dimensional experience of the values of what purpose,” Sharkey said. “That’s really resonating with people. You want to bring that purpose to life.”

The pop-up will be interactive and there will be panels, workshops, and talks by experts in the fields associated with the areas of food and wellness that Brandless has staked out. Along with the pop-up, Brandless is also launching a lifestyle blog that will be focused on educating consumers of the claimed benefits of, for example, “tree-free toilet paper.”

Sharkey says that Brandless has grown quicker than she’d imagined, and the company now ships packages to all 48 states every day.

“I checked that math – I just can’t believe it,” Sharkey said. “It’s gratifying to reach the whole country.”

Sharkey sees Brandless as filling gaps where the ease of shipping and low point of entry can allow people to try new things – like gluten-free baking mix – that would otherwise be either too expensive or just hard to find locally in some areas.

Since launch, Brandless has also refined its shipping cost structure. The free-shipping threshold has been lowered to $39 dollars, down from $72. All other orders cost a $5 flat fee to ship, which is down from $9.

The B.more membership program, which previously only lowered the free shipping order threshold to $48 dollars, now makes all orders ship free. The company has since started focusing on offering B.more to repeat Brandless customers.

When Business Insider tried Brandless shortly after launch, we found the items were a bit hit-or-miss, and value of $3 really depended on both the quality and quantity of the item.

Source: https://amp.businessinsider.com

Banksy auction stunt leaves art world in shreds

Canvas of Girl With Balloon passes through shredder in frame shortly after £1m sale

Banksy has played what could be one of the most audacious stunts in art history, arranging for one of his best-known works to self-destruct after being sold at auction for just over £1m.

Shortly after the hammer came down on the item, however, the canvas began to pass through a shredder installed in the frame.

Banksy posted an image on Instagram of the shredded work dangling from the bottom of the frame with the title “Going, going, gone … ”

“It appears we just got Banksy-ed,” said Alex Branczik, Sotheby’s senior director and head of contemporary art in Europe.

Sotheby’s said in a statement to the Financial Times: “We have talked with the successful purchaser who was surprised by the story. We are in discussion about next steps.”

The auction house declined to reveal the identity of the buyer.

On Saturday evening, Banksy posted a video on his Instagram page which showed a shredder being fitted to the frame of the painting.

It opened with the caption: “A few years ago, I secretly built a shredder into a painting.”

The clip shows a hooded figure putting the finishing touches on the device, before text appears on the screen saying: “In case it was ever put up for auction.”

The website MyArtBroker.com, which resells Banksy pieces, said Girl with Balloon had enjoyed annual increases in value of about 20% in recent years. “Prices now are regularly exceeding £115,000 for signed authenticated prints,” said its co-founder Joey Syer.

“The auction result will only propel this further and given the media attention this stunt has received, the lucky buyer would see a great return on the £1.02m they paid last night.

“This is now part of art history in its shredded state and we’d estimate Banksy has added at a minimum 50% to its value, possibly as high as being worth £2m plus.”

Girl With Balloon, which was last year voted the UK’s best-loved work of art, first appeared on a wall in Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch, east London. The 2006 gallery version featured spray paint and acrylic on canvas, mounted on a board.

The true identity of the Bristol-born artist has never been officially revealed despite wide speculation.

He rose to fame with graffiti that appeared on buildings across the UK, often marked by deeply satirical undertones.

Two new artworks appeared at the Barbican Centre in central London in September 2017 inspired by an upcoming Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition.

Announcing the new artworks in a series of Instagram posts, the artist said: “Major new Basquiat show opens at the Barbican – a place that is normally very keen to clean any graffiti from its walls.” The work has since been protected by perspex panes.

One of Banksy’s more elaborate jokes came just over three years ago when he opened Dismaland, a “family theme park unsuitable for small children”, on the seafront at Weston-super-Mare.

The Guardian described it at the time as “sometimes hilarious, sometimes eye-opening and occasionally breathtakingly shocking”.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com

 

 

5 Memorable Advertising Activations

Advertising has taken a decidedly experiential turn, as the brains behind the campaigns continue to push the boundaries of creativity to cement emotional bonds between brands and consumers.

Below we take a look at five innovative advertising activations that we believe push creative boundaries and help each respective brand better connect with their customers.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs Takes A Bite Of Your Pizza, Not Your PocketTo let people know it doesn’t charge any fees for its personal loans, Marcus by Goldman Sachs went to new lengths with its advertising, sending an actor into a pizzeria to pretend he worked there and having him bite into slices of pizza before serving them to patrons. The message? Rival lenders take a big “bite” of consumer’s pockets with fees. Responses are hysterical:

                                            

 

Beautyrest’s “Sleep” Activation
At SXSW this year, Beautyrest recruited 150 festival attendees to sleep on twin beds arranged on a concert stage while listening to composer Max Richter’s eight-hour lullaby, “Sleep.” The video, below, gives you a peek inside the activation:

                                            

“This was successful in terms of creating an event that not only stood out in a brand-relevant way, but also went beyond being a one-and-done event via all of the positive earned media from social sharing on Instagram and Snapchat during the experience,” said Michelle Montgomery, VP of marketing communications for Beautyrest at Serta Simmons Bedding, in an earlier interview with CMO.com.

Intel’s Olympic Drone Lightshow
Few will ever forget the Pyeong Chang 2018 Olympics opening ceremony, when Intel’s drone lightshow was broadcasted to 28.3 million viewers around the world. Talk about building brand awareness: The high-tech company flew 1,200 drones simultaneously, breaking its own world record. The drones were programmed to take the shape of a snowboarder, a dove, and then the Olympic rings. Mesmerizing barely skims the surface:

                                             https://players.brightcove.net/734546229001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5734644867001

Sephora Tent At Coachella
As the official beauty sponsor of Coachella this year, Sephora placed a tent right in the middle of all the festival action. The air-conditioned, Wi-Fi-enabled tent contained various stations to get attendees festival-ready. Some of the services offered inside: holographic makeup application, a braid bar, a DIY temporary hair dye station, and a sparkly space ball hair-styling station. Fans loved it. Who doesn’t love freebies?

 

Spotify Honors David Bowie
Spotify paid tribute to English singer, song writer, and actor David Bowie earlier this year with a huge takeover of New York City’s Broadway-Lafayette subway station, which is in the neighborhood that Bowie lived in for more than 20 years. There was a big Bowie portrait on the staircase, as well as artwork featuring his quotes about his love for Manhattan and custom metro cards with images of him during different stages of his career. The tieback to Spotify was especially cool: Each piece of artwork had a unique Spotify code linking to Bowie’s music, which made this activation more impactful.

                                             

Source: https://www.cmo.com