Yes, there are a TON of these types of invention collection pages swirling around the internet. I just have here a collection of my favourites. :) I'm always amazed when I see ideas for inventions like this - I realize they are such easy answers to things that have bothered me and yet they have somehow never even occurred to me. Like having a velcro place on the wall for your keys, a pair of scissors for your pizza (OF COURSE!) or a cup holder on your bike. I can't count the number of times I've been frustrated by having nowhere to put my drink on my bike.
Why escalator marketing you ask? Because it's so easy! Marketing that's dynamic and full of movement gets attention, and escalators are moving anyway, so you may as well just put some stickers on it. Plus, it's definitely under-used and full of creative opportunities. Unfortunately, 99% of this kind of marketing lacks any kind of creativity- mainly just companies making a picture with the front of the steps, or pasting an ad on the side. But here are a few who are being a little more interesting:
From 2008, this guerrilla marketing campaign for Juice Salon was a fun way of using escalator steps- each step had a different hairstyle matching up with a fixed face on the bottom. It's a shame that this idea really couldn't work for a female ad (at least, not a very diverse one), but I know it would still get my attention.
Awesome idea for advertising for the Simpsons Movie. Unfortunately, a quick poke around the internet shows nobody seems to have actually seen this escalator in person, so I'm not sure if it's just a concept. Either way, it would be fun!
There's something about really big replicas of little things that always entertains me! Maybe I'll do another blog post on it. Oh also, using colours/lines that already exist in the environment (in this case the lines on the escalator steps) is another sure-fire way to get me interested- I think it's something to do with connecting the impossible and unusual with the mundane.
It's time that marketing stopped interrupting people's entertainment, and instead became entertainment.
To stay relevant, marketing has to be something that people are interested in and willing to watch. Some marketers understand that, but most don't.
To illustrate the point I'm including here some of my favourite dramatic and artistic advertisements.
Launched in 2008, Go On Lad is an advertisement by the agency Miles Calcraft Birginshaw Duffy, made for Hovis bread in the UK. It's brilliance comes from its flawless phasing through 122 years of British history, through the gravity of the wars, inspiring speeches from Churchill, the devastation afterward, then each era of Brit fashion. Changing trends, clothing, technology.. it has it all! It is a beautifully made spot.
Balls, a commercial created by director Nicolai Fuglsig for the launch of the BRAVIA brand, did everything it was supposed to do. It captivated with the beauty of 250,000 real rubber balls bouncing down the streets of San Francisco. Plus, the song was perfect- Heartbeats, from José González's debut album Veneer. Some interesting practical points of the whole operation- it took 50,000 balls for the first shot, there was a team of 50 interns that had to gather up the balls for each retake, and there were a serious of golfball nets set up at the ends of the street to catch the extra balls. Yes the commercial was big. Yes it was expensive. And yes, it got the attention that the company needed for it's brand.
I´m back from my trip up to Piteå, a little town in northern Sweden. Some people there live year-round on lakes and near farms, which seems so idyllic to me. Imagine being able to get up and look out your window at a lake, go out for a swim, then take a shower and drive 30 min to work?
Anyway, before I make a serious post, I have to share something I found on Reddit.com yesterday- chinese superheros!
Here's the original thread here, with some hillariously fantastic comments: Reddit.com I especially like how the sense of right alliance includes Shrek, the yellow power ranger, and steve mcqueen from Cars.
Hey! It's been almost a week since I posted! Terrible! But I've been away at the Peace and Love music festival the last 4 days, so that's one excuse anyway. The weather wasn't too hot, which was fantastic (there is nothing worse for me than wandering around for hours in the sun and 35°).
One thing I have to ask though after the festival is what is it with everyone wearing rubber boots??? I was told that it's a fad... but really?
Boots like this in 25° clear weather. Confusing. Unless of course they were thinking ahead about the alcohol and organic sludge that appeared throughout the festival grounds.....
I came across some fantastic bands at the festival. Here are videos from my top 4 favourites :)
Tikkle Me- Electronic Indie Pop (?)
They make PRECISELY the kind of music I love. I was so excited when I venue hopped and found them!
the Amplifetes- 60's psychedelia electro pop
After Tikkle Me I wandered into a club style venue and found these guys. The singer is all personality isn't he?? I can't help but love someone with that much hair.
the Original High Fives- reggae pop
These guys were playing randomly in a space between venues. They played SO much better than many of the artists on the stages, and certainly deserved a stage of their own. Plus they had a crazy dreadlocked fan-friend that riled the whole crowd into fanatic dancing, and that was fantastic fun.
Crash Nomada- gypsy punk
When I read in the guidebook that there was a gypsy punk band playing, I knew I had to go. Their live performance was so energetic and fun.
The festival was fun, but the best music definitely came from the smaller (or not technically official) venues. Bob Dylan... is getting too old to play his music. I didn't even recognize Knockin' on Heaven's Door until nearly halfway through. Deadmau5 had a great light show... but we left early because he was playing nothing but a monotonous beat. I didn't see the Kings of Leon, but I heard that they're going downhill. The only major artist that I enjoyed was 30 Seconds to Mars, but they still lacked energy for some reason. So, I'm very glad that I did a bit of venue hopping :)
