2 examples of real-world interactive ad goodness

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How do you make advertising captivating? Sensors.

Two recent examples of real-world interactive ads show how sensor-rigged displays can engage and delight audiences.

A subway ad for Swedish hair care products maker Apotek Hjärtat's Apolosophy shows a woman whose long hair blows in the wind when subway trains enter and exit the station. It achieves this through digital screens equipped with ultrasonic sensors that monitor when trains enter and exit the station.

 

Coca-Cola created an "invisible vending machine" that only appeared when couples approached a wall. The sensors detect the couple, ask for the couple's names and then engage them in a video while the "machine" spits out custom Coke cans with their names on it.

For Valentine's Day, we created "The Invisible Vending Machine", and made it visible only to couples.

Vermont gets real to answer real health care questions

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It seems everyone has a question about the new health care law.

Natalie and Nathan have some answers.

The married couple are the faces of health care reform in Vermont, answering loads of questions that were submitted to Vermont Health Connect through YouTube videos and TV spots.

The videos are available at Vermont Health Connect's website and are running on local TV throughout the state as 30-second TV spots. The website also links to a broader Frequently Asked Questions page that goes more in-depth on many issues.

Here at Vermont Health Connect, we've received a number of questions from Vermonters about their new health coverage options. That's where Nathan and Natalie come in. They'll be answering your questions. This one comes from Anne: "I'm worried I can't afford health coverage. Is there help available?" Watch the video for the answer!

And who are Natalie and Nathan? They are previously uninsured small business owners, who teach comedy and theater. They grew up in the Northeast Kingdom and now live in Burlington.

The videos work. They're genuine and have a sincerity to them that is pure Vermont.

Here at Vermont Health Connect, we've received a number of questions from Vermonters about their new health coverage options. That's where Natalie and Nathan come in. They'll be answering your questions to make sure you have the information you need to get started. So who are Natalie and Nathan?


How it's done (queue up the video)

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How did they do that?

We all want to know how something gets done. Video is a great way to bring people inside a world they will never experience firsthand.

Here are three examples, including one in health care where our patients could definitely benefit from understanding what we do — and why.

1. Olympic Luge.

Luge (and its even crazier cousin skeleton) is one of those sports that gets its shining moment every four years. What's it like to barrel down the Sochi Olympic luge course at 80 mph?

A minute in my life. Point of view video from the track in Sochi, Russia.

 

2. Formula 1 Pit Stop.

If you've ever changed a tire or your oil, you know how long and frustrating it can be. The Ferrari Formula 1 pit crew can do it — and a dozen other adjustments — in just 2 seconds.

2013 Melbourne F1, poetry in motion.

Source: Kottle.org 

 

3. Health Care Medical Laboratory.

We take blood and tissue samples from patients every day, but what happens to them? What are they looking for? This is a great video from Bowling Green State University in Ohio from Nick Corbin Productions.

Bowling Green State University Medical Laboratory Science students submission for the 2013 ASCLS viral video contest. Song: Evgeny Grinko - Winter Sunshine. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 2.0 Germany License.




Bill Gates doesn't need Powerpoint to shine! #stopthemyth

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Bill Gates has proven he knows something about philanthropy. And now marketing, promotion and donor communication.

The 2014 Gates Annual Letter from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a masterpiece of philanthropic communication — an immersive online experience that very solidly makes the case for global assistance.

The digital "letter" has everything you would expect from a fundraising report and appeal — prose, facts, charts and compelling stories. It also sprinkles in videos, photos, charts and motion graphics, interactive polls, infographics and slide decks. The site's design is inclusive — it automatically translates into six languages, is responsive and looks great on mobile devices. And there's a downloadable PDF for those who want a more conventional annual report.

The "ask" comes in the form of a hashtag (#stopthemyth) that links to partners who are doing the work supported by the Gates Foundation. 

The letter focuses on three myths that keep us from *really* helping the poor. Bill and Melinda Gates are the authors of the three sections — they squarely attach their names and reputations to the content.

The three myths:

1. Poor countries are doomed to stay poor. 

Bill Gates:

"When I was born, most countries in the world were poor. In the next two decades, desperately poor countries will become the exception rather than the rule."

2. Foreign aid is a big waste. 

Bill Gates again: 

"Health aid is a phenomenal investment. … A baby born in 1960 had an 18 percent chance of dying before her fifth birthday. For a child born today, the odds are less than 5 percent. In 2035, they will be 1.6 percent. I can’t think of any other 75-year improvement in human welfare that would even come close."

3. Saving lives leads to overpopulation. 

Now Melinda Gates: 

"The planet does not thrive when the sickest are allowed to die off, but rather when they are able to improve their lives. Human beings are not machines. We don’t reproduce mindlessly. We make decisions based on the circumstances we face."

Finally, the letter ends with an affirming "Looking Ahead" section. The call to action isn't just about giving money — it's about busting the myths (remember the hashtag #stopthemyth) and showing that the "bad news" most of us hear every day can be replaced by the "good news" that comes out of global togetherness.

We hope you will help get the word out on all these myths. Help your friends put the bad news in context.

And to spread that news, Bill Gates asked Jimmy Fallon for his help in making a viral video.

Bill Gates wants to promote his website, GatesLetter.com, with a viral video, but Jimmy doesn't think they have time to make one.

Something you can do with Instagram

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Make a movie!

Great stuff — and a great idea for crowdsourcing content.

Instagram is an incredible resource for all kinds of images. I wanted to create structure out of this chaos. The result is a crowd source short-film that shows the endless possibilities of social media. The video consists of 852 different pictures, from 852 different instagram users. If you are one of them, shout and I will add you to the credits. music: The black Keys - Gold on the ceiling www.iamthomasjullien.com Special thanks to Amadeus Henhapl, Pieter van den Heuvel and Silje Lian who pushed me to finnish this short. Credits from instagram @palmalotiene @robertbye @Milondon12 @aivenn @Tisonavich @rietbergje @Tisonavich @ dorsiul @siddharthaalam