out of the box :: The awesome world of digital

The HP PhotoBall

Brands are always on the hunt for new ways to connect with brands through sponsorship, especially at festivals, where there can be a sea of brands all shouting for attention. So what did HP do at this years Planeta Terra in Sao Paolo? They created the ‘PhotoBall’, a huge blow up ball that was unleashed on the crowd at the main stage. It was equipped with an HD camera and Wifi Antenna so it could beam photos in real time.

The magic bit? People could visit the HP photobooth at the festival to get a printed photo of them playing with the ball. They could also tag themselves online. It’s a unique and interesting way to record the festival from a new angle, a really nice way to showcase the printing capabilities of HP, and a fantastic way to reward participants with something tangible at the end of the experience. Nice work HP, love it.

Opel Corsa - The first car named after its owner

Opel wanted to launch a new Corsa to the youth market. The Brief? To come up with a name that spoke to them. And what better way to name a vehicle than to name it after the owner. A cool idea to truly personalise a product, even if it does have sniffs of Cokes ‘Share a Coke’ Campaign. What product will get the ‘name’ idea next? I quite fancy a pair of underpants with my name on…. wait a minute I already have those, thanks mum.

Renault Clio - The first car lifted by likes

Renault wanted to prove that passion could indeed lift a vehicle off the ground… god only knows why. But they did. So they built this app. Every time someone ‘liked’ the app, a real-world thumbs up was placed in the box on the seesaw alongside the car. After over 16,000 likes, the car was finally lifted into the air, one lucky person won the car and the world became a happier place.

As much as I ‘like’ the idea. I’m a little confused what the link to the product is, apart from it being a nice mechanic to win it. If you can indeed decipher this cryptic for me, please feel free to let me know. Until then, I’m off to ‘like’ some brands to try and win some free shit, catch you later.

RayBans - The Ambermatic

In a world where people are obsessed with retro-style photography (thanks Hipstamatic for bringing us that trend by the way…. I miss you now Instagram is here), RayBans wanted to show the world what life looked like through their new lenses…. for real. So they did. The Ambermatic app allows people to snap a photo, which is then beamed to the Ambermatic machine… an interactive installation in their flagship store in London. The photo is then shot for real through the lens of the sunglasses and beamed back to the users phone.

I love the tie-in with the real product, and shooting it for real really brings this idea to life in way that feels really tangible. It also ties in beautifully with retail, allowing people to see the machine working in real-time alongside the shopping experience. Great social idea with the product at the heart. Nice work RayBan!

KLM creates a social map for your next trip

When going on holiday, nothing beats a good recommendation from one of your mates. The places, the views, the things to do. What if you could aggregate all of the best stuff from the people you knew and take it away with you on the go?

KLM’s latest campaign, the ‘Must see map’ thinks it has the very answer. By inviting your friends to add tips to a particular destination, the app creates a real-world printed map that is then sent to you for free ready for your next trip. It’s an amazing way of taking the online world, offline. It also tackles the age old problem of roaming when you are on holiday, as you can take a printed map with you anywhere. Lovely idea guys.

Stanley, the interactive player piano

Here’s a cute little project from the guys over at Digital Kitchen. Stanley is an interactive player piano that accepts requests via twitter. Simply tweet your request to @stanleypiano, any song from the great line-up at Block Party, and it will be added to the queue for playing. It’s a great mash-up of a very traditional medium with social media, and a lovely way of bringing digital into the real-world to build a more emotional connection with the participant. Nice work guys.

Find out more at the site here.

MySpace is back from near death

It must have only been a couple of years ago that MySpace launched a new visual identity to try and draw people back to its platform. The once king of social media has struggled to move with the times, to keep up with other networks innovations and to position itself properly in the market. With a fresh redesign, and a new identity (which looks a lot like its first logo to tell you the truth), they are once again poised to become relevant once again. The interface is modern and a joy to explore, the imagery is large and striking and the experience seems familiar to anyone that has been swiping their way through tablet apps these past years.

Could this refresh and the backing of Justin Timberlake be enough to bring MySpace back from oblivion? Who knows, one things for sure, it’s got me interested in it once more. And with Facebook now over-populated, and filled to the brim with mums everywhere, this could once again be the platform for kids to express themselves away from prying eyes.

Excited as I am? Sign up for the new MySpace here.