Enter: The QR Code Condom (Video)

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Rick Mathieson

How are you getting laid this summer?

As Bangstyle reports, that’s the question posed by the Stockholm County AIDS prevention program in a summer campaign, aimed at young singles, that makes sex a lot more social.

As part of the effort, 50,000 condoms were given way, each with a wrapper that featured a QR code leading to an app website called The Sex Profile.

Couples were invited to turn on the app and place the phone on the bed. The app then measure things like rhythm, sound, duration, cuddling and so on, to determine the partners’ sexual style and preferences, which were then posted to the website where users could measure how they compare. Essentially, a score for your score, so to speak – with the added bonus of encouraging safety.

Very creative – not to mention, er, viral.

But what’s your view – too salacious by half? Or a new way to make fornicating more fun?

‘Dance Cam’ Mobile App Lets You Create Music Videos on Your Phone

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Rick Mathieson

There are few things more entertaining (or disturbing) than watching folks dance on the Xbox Kinect system on games like Dance Central.

For those tapping their toes until Dance Central 2, there’s a new app from AKQA called Dance*Cam, which lets you create your own music videos on the fly.

In fact, if your video looks especially fly, you can upload it to Facebook and challenge a friend, where two videos are mashed into one so others can vote on who busts a move best.

In general, we’re advocates for mobile web apps over native apps – unless it’s a utility or experience that lives beyond a finite campaign.

This particular app fits the bill – and exists as an experience that can live on its own long past the time Dance Central 5 is set to hit Kinect.

Indeed, one could see how the ability to create on-the-fly music videos at concerts might make for a memorable – and viral – concert-going experience.

(As an aside, you can hear excerpts from a recent interview with AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarre here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Concl, where he talks about the agency’s philosophy and approach to creating compelling brand experiences through digital channels.

What’s your take? Is Dance*Cam the perfect way to promote Dance Central 2?

Serious blackmail material?

Or both?

Heineken Personalized QR Code Stickers Become Ice Breakers At Music Festival (Video)

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Rick Mathieson

Hat’s off to Heineken.

We’re digging this this very cool initiative from Leo Burnett Warsaw for the Heineken Open’er Music Festival: A special system that enabled concertgoers to create customized QR code stickers that other attendees could then scan to spark up conversation.

It’s just one of the ways Heineken’s been using innovation (digital and otherwise) over the last year – from the Occasionally Perfect Billboard, to Starvision personalized club signage to augmented reality advertising.

In this particular effort, QR codes (or”U-Codes,” as they call them here) become social lubricants to make the concert-going experience more social and fun.

And isn’t that that great music is all about?

Industry Veteran Amanda Van Nuys Tapped to Lead Mozes Marketing

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Tanya

Mozes is excited to welcome Amanda Van Nuys as new VP of Marketing. Amanda spent over five years with Organic, a leading digital agency, where she ran marketing & helped transform the brand in the agency world.

Amanda has over 18 years of experience marketing Internet, software, and services to business and technology decision makers. She built her reputation on her ability to transform ‘off the radar’ brands into undisputed industry leaders. Amanda is an expert at both leveling up traditional marketing practices, while leveraging consumer-based marketing tools, such as social media and community management, in business-to-business marketing. Her most recent role was as Executive Director of Marketing Communications & Enterprise Marketing at Linden Lab/Second Life.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining Mozes,” said Amanda. “The company is well positioned to lead the mobile marketing industry: an innovative product, top-tier clients, a smart and passionate team, and strong leadership. I look forward to working with the team to catapult Mozes to the next level and help our clients continue to push the boundaries of mobile engagement.”

Mobile Roundtable (Concl): Native Apps or Web?

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Rick Mathieson

So which is it: Native apps or Web?

That’s the question I post to the Gen Wow June 2011 Mobile Roundtable panelists, Sarah Ortman, senior group manager for consumer and shopper promotions for Clorox, Peter Cole, technology director for digital agency R/GA, and Dorrian Porter, CEO of mobile marketing firm (and longtime GEN WOW sponsor) Mozes, Inc.

Along the way, we’ll get some advice to CPG marketers how to make the most of mobile marketing.

JUNE 2011 MOBILE ROUNDTABLE (CONCL): MOBILE APPS: NATIVE OR WEB?

Audio Link: Download GEN WOW JUNE 2011 MOBILE ROUNDTABLE CONCLUSION

Also Listen to:

Part One: How Clorox Mobilizes CPG Marketing
Part Two: R/GA on Wal-Mart’s Mobile Moves
Part Three: An AlwaysOn Favorite Fuels Fandamonium
Part Three: Location-Based Marketing & A Future Beyond Foursquare

Mobile Roundtable Pt 2: R/GA on Wal-Mart’s Mobile Moves – And The Future of ‘Reverse Search’

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Rick Mathieson

R/GA, of course, is one of the digital marketing world’s most important – and most secretive – agencies. And it’s seriously into mobile.

In part two of our June 2011 Mobile Roundtable, we talk to Peter Cole, R/GA’s technology director, who discusses his general perspective on providing utility to consumers through the mobile channel.

Along the way, we hear about an augmented reality app R/GA developed for Wal-Mart – and we touch on “reverse search,” which will shape the discussion with Sarah Ortman, senior group manager for consumer and shopper promotions for Clorox, and Dorrian Porter, CEO of longtime GEN WOW-sponsor, Mozes, Inc. (both also pictured here) over the next few days.

JUNE 2011 MOBILE ROUNDTABLE PT 2: R/GA’S APPROACH TO MOBILE APPS – AND THE FUTURE OF ‘REVERSE SEARCH’

(Approx: 4:20)

Audio Link:

Download GEN WOW JUNE 2011 MOBILE ROUNDTABLE PT 2

ALSO: Listen to part one of the roundtable here.

Holler Gram Turns Your iPad Into A Hilarious Billboard

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Rick Mathieson

What’s not to love about spending $600+ on a digital tablet that can also double as a personal billboard?

In this case, it may very well be worth it. Holler Gram from Made by Many turns your iPad into a billboard for you to spread your message – your own, or some hilarious pre-made options, including “I’m Tweeting The Crap Out of This”, “Ask the Flipping Question!” (a few of which are shown in this App Store publicity shot) and an Olympic-style scorecard – to those around you.

We can immediately see uses at concerts and sporting events – the ultimate in self expression to show the love to your favorite band or team.

But we also like the suggested uses from one iTunes reviewer, who says this “is going to be great at meetings, but I can see it being used while driving.”

Suddenly, the iPad is no longer merely digital. It’s analog, too.

A must-have app for the iPad 2. Find it here - and learn more about the company behind it, here.

‘The Voice’: Print Ads That Speak To You (Video)

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Rick Mathieson

Love this print series from Publicis for Reporters without Borders, promoting freedom of the press.

Scanning a QR code and placing your phone on the print ad creates the effect shown here.

It reminds me of the “UN Voices Campaign” from a couple years back that enabled a similar experience. Here, the physical engagement of placing the phone on the ad – and the fact that it’s initiated through QR codes – has a nice impact for an important effort.

Is Aurasma A QR Code Killer? (Video)

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Rick Mathieson

Who knows. In a mobile marketing roundtable I recently ran with execs from Ford, Mozes and Crispin, Porter+Bogusky, we debated the pros and cons of QR Codes.

Here, a company called Autonomy (the second largest software company in Europe, according to 2d-code.go.uk), a new app called Aurasma (in beta) seems to use image recognition to activate print in fun new ways.

Still, if you have to turn on the app and focus it, it may not bring much added value. While it clearly does away with weird little icons, unless it’s always on, the app still needs to be turned on and focused, just as in the case with QR Codes.

And another question arises: How will readers/users know when something is Aurasma enabled? Probably an icon of some sort – begging the question of why it’s better than QR codes.

Still, this video offers an impressive look at possibilities.

What’s your opinion? We’d love to hear from you.

Mobile Roundtable (Concl): The QR Code Debate – Got Game or Just Lame?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Rick Mathieson

The conclusion of our exclusive roundtable with Scott Kelly, digital marketing manger, Ford Motor Company, Dorrian Porter, CEO of Mozes, and Winston Binch, partner & managing director of interactive, Crispin, Porter+Bogusky.

In our final installment, a look at the great QR codes debate of 2011: In the US, are QR codes not ready for prime time, or been-there-already-bored-with-that? Now that Apple’s bypassing QR codes for Near Field Communication (NFC), inquiring minds want to know.

Plus: Is mobile advertising really all that interesting – or will mobile’s real power come from activating traditional?

MOBILE ROUNDTABLE CONCLUSION: DEBATING QR CODES

(Approx 6:40)

Audio link:

Mobile Roundtable Conclusion: QR Codes – Got Game, or Just Lame?