In France eBay is about to launch its first advertising campaign on TV. The message they want to deliver it's "eBay c'est vous" (eBay it's you) and, together with the agency BETC EuroRSCG, they've come up with a very smart and exteremely consistent idea: eBay sellers can buy space within the spot to advertise the products they usually sell through the auction platform.

Four groups of friends are currently travelling across Europe paid by Bacardi to reach Murmansk, Russia. The project is called Bacardi Murmansk Route, the travellers have left early this month from the sunny Tarifa, they have more than 6.000 km to go across with only €1,400 each and a locked case with worthy and misterious content they will get to know only if they finish their trip.

As Bacardi explains in the press release, it's not a race, it's not a competition, a homage to the travelers' spirit of freedom. Each group has its own blog, where they post videos, comments and photos (see for example the blog of Gorka, Javi and Nuria).

It's definitely a project to highlight the aspirational side of the Bacardi brand, it looks interesting, and I'm sure it's generating quite some PR buzz in Spain, but I can't help thinking it's way to last year's Junior Lucky Bastard project launched by 55DSL.

In the UK, Nike is launching an exclusive invitation only music & running event for 3,000 people in London. Tickets can be "earned" competing at four weekly 100m speed trials across London throughout October. Each trial will feature live DJs, athletes, celebrities and Nike gear. Then the fastest 1,000 runners from the trials will get the opportunity to join the Nike+ Supersonic night with two guest passes.

Even if in my position my opinion doesn't count, I really like the idea and the mood of the event, plus I find simple but brilliant the mini-site promoting the project. It features a cool video by with light graffiti (unfortunately it cannot be embedded nor linked) and an amusing copy: there are two ways to get a ticket to the event, either you run fast or you know someone who does. Keep your friends close, and your Nike+ friends closer...

If you're based in London and you're tired of having everyday the same lunch, discover MINI's alternative proposals. On the other lunch break you will discover a series of activities organized to make you experience something new during lunch break.

For example today, you can take the challenge and try to beat a lie detector. If today you are busy, then in two weeks time you can take a special class to learn how to tactfully decline proposals...

The lunch alternative ideas sounds pretty funny, but once again what's interesting to point out is MINI's ability to create offline experiences worth participating and even simply talking about. And this, for an aspirational brand like MINI already means "mission accomplished".

How do you launch a new fragrance in the youth market if not using new media tools and spaces? ck IN2U is a new parfume by Calvin Klein especially conceived for the technosexuals, a somehow scary word used to define young people aged 18-25 who communicate among each other using sms and emoticons, blogs and Myspace tools but also have a strong sense of aesthetics. CK even trademarked the term in anticipation of its launch of CK in2u.

The brand is using mobile marketing in Toronto with a series of digital billboards that invite consumers to interact and read their messages displayed on the big screens.

The online effort also includes the first ever (wow!???!) launch of a fragrance into Second Life. Situated on Avalon, the first island in Second Life to command a real-world land value, ck is also launching the 'what are you in 2?' photography competition and gallery, offering Avatars, the inhabitants of Second Life, the chance to post a 'snapshot' of any image that inspires them in the virtual world. Entries can be uploaded daily in the ck IN2U gallery and the winner will become a millionaire ( in Second Life only!).

Personalize your cover no longer applies only to mobile phones. Publishing company Penguin is currently running an online initiative which allows readers to design the cover of six masterpieces (The Picture of Dorian Gray and Crime and Punishment among the others). The best designs will be put into production, and will become real book covers. As I already said in the past, I love this kind of marketing ideas to stimulate user generated content, as they offer people a real added value. Reward consumers with something they cannot get themselves (and always exceed expectations!).

On the website they also say that, according to consumer research, when we decide whether or not to buy a book, cover design is always the most important thing. Unfortunately, I have to agree. If I don't already know the author, and I buy a book based on the "inspiration" of the moment, the cover does play a role in affecting my choice.

The new videogame "Splinter Cell: Double Agent" features a series of in-game product placement by Nivea. The brand aims at reaching the male 18- to 34-year-old market by featuring its product in the main character's hotel bathroom as well as through in-game billboards with slogans like "There are many faces of evil. Don't let yours be one of them" or "The 'Good Guy' almost never has a beard" etc...

An extremely basic mini-site and a series of online sweepstakes are also part of the promotional effort. While the investment in in-game product placement could be considered interesting, the implementation of the campaign on the web looks rather weak. I believe much more could have been done to promote both the videogame and the link with the Nivea brand. Also the prize "meet the game developers" is not really appealing, not even to hard-core gamers which probably aren't even in the Nivea's target audience.

A series of print ads and some tv spots also posted on Youtube are the elements of a recent Smart campaign created by Contrapunto, Madrid.

The offer is so incredible... no-one will be believe you...

Volkswagen has just launched its special edition Beetle Luna and it's promoting it with a direct marketing action to drive traffic the Beetle Art minisite. Proximity London will distribute 90,000 packs to target female Volkswagen customers aged 25 to 49 "for whom style is the most important factor when choosing a new car".

Beetle Art (design by Tribal DDB) allows users to create, view and print out a copy of their customised decal designs. The website also allows visitors to enter a competition to win their creation.

news via Brandrepublic (sub. req.)

Laurens sent me the link to this viral campaign Opel is running in The Netherlands to support its Tigra Twin Top. In order to access the content you need to fill in your first name and last name plus a mobile phone number (you can use this: 0650847199 which my old Dutch number).

Once you are in you will find a video (which isn't actually very funny, at least for me) which ends with a crazy Indian guy calling you on your mobile to tell you about the campaign. Of course you won't be able to listen to the phone call, but I wanted to share this link because I like the idea of integrating media and messages. The Opel campaign in itself isn't particularly brilliant nor viral, but they are doing a great thing taking a campaign from the Internet to the mobile phone and viceversa. A good starting point for you guys to come up with other concepts...

So here we go. The constant consideration about how and when to utilize what part of the digital communication channels and how to glide that into the overall marketing to end up by giving the user one harmonic and elegant experience with whatever messages you are seeking to get across is closing in with this solution, I think.

I just had a go at The Da Vinci Code today powered by Google… I must say that they have done a great job integrating the Google offerings in the quest.

Check it out for yourself – I am actually quite impressed with the way it flows. First of all you need a Google account – excellent conversion trigger. Then they take you through the quest and facilitate you with different Google products along the ride to ease-up the mystery solving for you. You will probably meet products in a relevant context from Google that you did not even know they had – until having challenged yourself in the quest.

Elegant example on how to integrate a series of products in a user relevant context to stress where and when these products become helpful… And a great way of utilizing the digital communication channel as an integrated part of the movie launch.

Go Code Crunching: http://flash.sonypictures.com/movies/davincicodequest/

I loved watching 24 on TV so I've been immediately very curious when Mark emailed me the link to their new integrated campaign for 24: The Game. As you can see from the screenshot below, the teaser is simple but effective, and immediately grabs visitors' attention. But the campaign of course isn't just about this gimmick, it develops through two online films personalized for the subscribers of the Sony Playstation newsletter.

As Mark Riley, planning director at 20:20 London (the agency behind the campaign) explained me, the story in the game involves Jack Bauer's search for his daughter Kim who has been kidnapped (story based on events between series 2 and 3 of TV programme). Gamers on the Sony Entertainment, PlayStation database received an html email that linked them to a personalised internet film, in the film Jack Bauer is seen sending an SMS to CTU (headquarters) asking them to contact YOU (your name appears in the text he's writing), then in minutes you receive an SMS on your cellphone, it asks for your help and gives you a unique URL to go to.

If you haven't had dinner in the last hour, go and check the new creepy Playstation 2 campaign to promote the new "Getaway 2/Black Monday" game.

I found it on TwentyFour, which also points out that "in New Zealand crime scene installations were set up in three cities (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch). Radio ads and editorials on city channels gave clues to the whereabouts of the scenes: listeners who cracked the clues and were able to find the locations, were rewarded with a brand new PS2 console and a copy of the game".

Land Rover pushes G4 challenge across new media

5 seconds of fame

Nestlé launches Kit Kash 2006

Product placement gets smarter

It's all a game for Nescafe

MTV UK, another step towards interactivity

Find Ricola's mystery cougher and win

Zippo Love Tour

Vodafone targets cynical mobile users

Festival Buddy, smart viral idea for Virgin Express

London 69, a sexy campaign for Eurostar

Thoughts on outdoor advertising and SMS

Chevrolet and your style

The Samsung "Fantastic Four" movie

Guess what does Batman drink and eat?

The Tropicana Breakfast Club

Lancia: United_Against_Ugliness

The Republic of Lauda

Verizon and the broadband stories

LG kicks off the "Six Degrees" campaign

3M: interactivity at its best

High interactivity for Adidas

Fanta: fun & SMS

"Naturally Beautiful" campaign launched

In the Navy!

Transport for London: online it's better

Volvo: Life on Board

It's time for the "Digital Joy"

Nestlé promotes cereals among teenagers

BrownCo targets active traders

Heinz Bienstar integrated campaign

Absolut Raspberri debuts online

Levi's Anti-Fit Fall campaign

Impulse: Love Every Bit

Integrated mktg action for Vin Diesel

Try with media-neutral ideas

CK: Summer in the City

Trust the druid

Voyager's online promotion

Who's the most original father?

Discover Plan�te Danette

Hoverspeed rebrands with new media

Tv + Web = winning combination

Pepsi-iTunes promotion hacked

A new chapter in integrated marketing

Ries on integrated marketing

Tv + Web = Mitsubishi SuperBowl success

I'm ready for Opodo

Make Money Be Happy (part 2)

Delta Airlines integrated marketing

Integrated campaign for Amanti

Unusual integrated marketing

Back from the Forrester Consumer Forum

MTV presents 'Made in dream' competition

Everything you need to know about Reebok

IAB UK ready for an advertising push

New York City as a brand

Ocado: 'Be more demanding' campaign

Mercedes: Oktober Fest online

Online advertising, the sweet way

Asics: guerrilla marketing push

FT to launch fully integrated campaign in Asia

Integrated marketing campaign to attract tourists to Ireland

Lucozade: brain energy in a bottle

02 free SIM campaign of the month

Tv tests loyalty with sms

BMW offers advanced Internet services

Ferrero online marketing to kids

Drink, play and win

Advergames, Jeep and Lara Croft

Are looking for more cool interactive ideas? Check the archives