You may have experienced (suffered ?) some hoaxes on this April fools' day...
Among the pranks and fakes issued by media publishers and brands today, Nike got my vote.
To be fully transparent, I must (re)say, not only Nike is my client, I am also a big fan of the brand,
nevertheless I didn't work on that project and I truly liked it when I discovered it today.
If you have always wondered where the air of the Nike Air shoes is coming from, Nike revealed its secret today :
I just stumbled upon this beautiful Facebook app called Lookbook, developed by Gap to promote their 1969 Premium Jeans Collection. Using a simple interface to find the perfect match of your choice, the thing i liked the most was the availability of going to the GAP site in order to buy that outfit that you chose at the Facebook app.
Then, as always happens when a new "platform" is being so frequently used, somebody gives it a twist and bring the dynamic into ad world, as the smart guys from Poke London did for French Connection (a so-called high street fashion brand) and its blog called Manifesto. Seduce a woman at Chatroulette! and send the proof of that to win a 250 pounds voucher.
This promo was then objected by some women, claiming that they also wanted the right of earning the voucher, so the rules were "corrected", women can participate... but they also have to seduce a woman. Smart and a bit of punk, just as Chatroulette!
Last weekend i received a link to this video, where somebody from supertalented KokoKaka showed how their new website for Wrangler was supposed to work, this was a hell of a teaser:
Then, the site came alive on Tuesday, and i must say that is one of the most delightful experiences i've seen lately. A simple idea with a beautiful execution, "delightful" is the word for me, as dressing/undressing the guy to the rhythm of the music is absolutely memorable.
Probably Martina has something to say related to the shopping experience (there is not) and there's no much more than that, but having the whole video or the song for download makes me say "yay!", it closes the whole experience and makes this jeans collection a one to remember for this year.
It has become kind of trendy for the fashion industry to work with famous directors and movie makers to present the new collections. Prada and YSL are just the latest high end fashion brands that decided to go this way. It's a strategy I don't fully get as I miss a more integrated communication approach but I presume the "short movie" solution is paying back in terms of PR and possibly does a good job in filling the TV sets within the showrooms with content that goes beyond the usual catwalk.
Prada has worked with Chinese filmaker Yang Fudong to represent the new direction in its visual communication through a black & white journey in Shanghai during the 30s & 40s.
The Games We Play is a series of videos recently launched by Puma. It's an impressive job that combines playful live-action with a fully illustrated set. Puma's commitment in running, fitness, motorsports and golf is explored and visualized with a touch of colors and sense of humor.
I really look forward to see if there is going to be more around this campaign. Both the idea and the execution are so cool that I wonder how they are going to fully exploit such a creative boost.
From Japan another great example of digital communication and a clear demonstration that the online media and online commerce are (more than) ready to support any brand or product (if the communication is done in the right way). Today we talk about dogs, fashion and ecommerce. The brand is called Free Stitch and produces clothing for small dogs. I personally hate the idea of putting a ridiculous cloth on my dog but I appreciate small dogs might suffer cold... and this website would definitely push me to buy something fashionable.
The experience is brilliant, with a gallery of "models" wearing the different items and the absolutely fantastic possibility to browse the collection by clothing or by "dog".
Looks like Diesel is back to the great stupid campaigns of its glorious past. Be Stupid is a smart concept that offers a wide range of possibilities to be further explored and exploded with wit and irony. The idea is simple: smart may have the brains, but stupid has the balls... the balls to create new stuff, the balls to do crazy things, the balls to surprise.
If you think you are doing something stupid enough you can send your stupid video to Diesel and win the possibility to be featured in the video catalogue/music clip they will produce over the next few months.
Nike True City is a really cool iPhone app where you can find some info about different european cities, provided by some "Nike experts", but leaving it open for you to update the content with your own suggestions of what a "true city" should be.
Aditionally the app reveals where new Nike events are taking place, where there are secret QR-codes in each city (i love they include even a QR-Code reader inside the application) or even new Nike products to be launched, creating a really interesting community where you can be rewarded on your own or by sharing to the rest of users. Here's a little trailer to the app:
