Revolution articles from April 2009

Revolution archives from April 2009

Leader: Thanks to the web, gaming's moved on since the days of the ZX Spectrum.(Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K)
April 1, 2009... Everyone remembers their first computer. Mine was a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K. It looked a bit like a pencil case pretending to be a computer (and probably had the same amount of processing power). There was no joystick, which meant that you...

The Download: Search - Smarties go up in smoke.
April 1, 2009... Smarties, the Ce De Candy-owned confectionary brand, has been set upon by a web craze where people video themselves pretending to smoke a tube of the sweets like a cigarette. People searching for Smarties online see first page video results...

The Download: Search - Vauxhall invests in SEO.
April 1, 2009... GM-owned Vauxhall has appointed I Spy Search to handle natural search across its product range of cars, vans and finance services. The marque's paid search account is held by Carat, and I Spy has been appointed to work alongside the Aegis...

The Download: Advertising - Npower makes web films.
April 1, 2009... Npower has partnered with HowTo.tv for a digital campaign to promote its microgeneration scheme, which allows customers to cut bills and sell electricity back to the National Grid. -------------------- Did you find this article useful?...

The Download: Advertising - PlayStation plugs Killzone.
April 1, 2009... PlayStation has launched an online ad drive for Killzone 2. The campaign, created by Agency Republic, enables consumers to download a toolbar that spontaneously opens the game over websites being browsed The consumer gets a warning before...

The Download: Advertising - Gumtree signs up Beeny.
April 1, 2009... Gumtree has launched its largest multimedia campaign to date, for its quarterly Gumtree Rental Index, which aims to attract new traffic to the property section. Property expert Sarah Beeny will host advisory videos supported by a campaign site...

The Download: Advertising - Meerkat in blooper videos.
April 1, 2009... Aleksandr Orlov, the face of comparethemarket.com, has launched a follow-up to the 'Comparethemeerkat' campaign. The next stage of the campaign features the mammal in 'outtakes' from the filming of the TV ad. -------------------- Did...

The Download: Advertising - Mars gets heavy with Poke.
April 1, 2009... Mars has forced Poke to shut down an unauthorised website (snckrz.com) that encouraged users to create their own logo for Snickers, currently being promoted by Mr T. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not...

The Download: Social Media - Moshi launches gallery.
April 1, 2009... Virtual world Moshi Monsters has teamed with the Idea Generation Gallery to offer young artists a chance to see their creations brought to life in a gallery exhibition. The winning monster design will be made into a 'moshling' and made...

The Download: Social Media - Twitter trials text ads.
April 1, 2009... Twitter has begun trialling text ad formats as it searches for ways to generate revenue. The ads promote Twitter services, including widgets and its new search functionality. It is not known whether Twitter will roll out the format to third...

The Download: Mobile - Apple boosts app creation.
April 1, 2009... Apple has unveiled a software update for the iPhone which will make it easier for brands to create apps. Owners will be able to cut and paste text or pictures between apps, and developers will be able to offer subscription pricing and 'in app'...

The Download: Mobile - Facebook pushes iPhone.
April 1, 2009... Facebook has announced the extension of Facebook Connect to the iPhone. The extension lets users publish their activities and updates to their Facebook feeds and extends profiles into apps. Friends can also invite each other to play games on...

The Download: M&M's creates Easter egg hunt.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... M&M's has launched a cross-website interactive game to promote its new 'Speck-tacular Eggs' product. The initiative encourages consumers to collect codes in specially marked packs to add to their online egg 'basket'. The website,...

The Download: Killer Quote.
April 1, 2009... 'Twitter is a poor man's email system.' - Google chief executive Eric Schmidt at the Morgan Stanley Technology conference in San Francisco. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine?...

The Download: Smart Stat.
April 1, 2009... Pounds 175m is the projected amount of money brands will spend on social networks in the UK this year, according to eMarketer. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please call 08451...

The Download: Hot or Not.
April 1, 2009... HOT - Jerry Jalava, a computer programmer from Finland, has replaced his missing ring finger (lost in a motorbiking accident) with a USB drive. - Having no fingers may not be a problem for iPod users. Earphones with sensors for the...

The Download: In-depth - Digital music - Spotify and Last.fm moot partnership.
April 1, 2009... The music services could offer brands the chance to run split campaigns comprising audio and display ads. Spotify and Last.fm are negotiating a landmark deal that will enable brands to buy advertising packages across both burgeoning music...

The Download: Hotlinks.
April 1, 2009... Stuff we found we think you might like... - Idea resurrection Ever had a great idea that no one else liked? Killed ideas is the place where ideas go when they die, and may provide the catalyst for their resurrection....

The Download: Viral effect - This month's hottest virals.
April 1, 2009... - Sony Vaio: Grand Central Station This ad clearly takes its inspiration from the recent T-Mobile campaign 16,386 views. - Bud light: Magazine Buyer Think you're having a bad day? Check out this video for the Bud Bowl 2009....

The Download: Start-up Loudcrowd.
April 1, 2009... Conduit Labs, the Boston-based start-up, has launched Loudcrowd, an online community that integrates a virtual world with music and social gaming elements. The site allows users to create their own virtual world, populate it with avatars...

The Download: World-wide web.
April 1, 2009... How is digital marketing performing around the world? This month, in Washington, US president Barack Obama has removed his weekly address to the nation from YouTube, while the Vatican is asking people to forsake Facebook for Lent. NEW YORK...

The Download: Smart guide to ... Facebook's new look.
April 1, 2009... Facebook has revamped its homepage to include live news-feeds in an effort to replicate Twitter and allow brands to target users more effectively. As part of a broad overhaul, Facebook has changed the profile pages used by advertisers so...

The Download: App:Test - Warner Bros: Watchmen iPhone app.
April 1, 2009... Reviewed by Tim Hussain This app provides a one-stop shop for anyone interested in the Watchmen movie, including trailers and behind-the-scenes clips. - How does it work? The app puts you in the place of one of the main characters...

The Download: Inside track - T-Mobile's marketing department.(T-Mobile International AG und Company KG)
April 1, 2009... T-Mobile is planning to significantly increase its digital marketing budget, pledging to spend nearly as much online during 2009 as it does on TV (pounds 11 million). However, the mobile operator is still seeking a permanent replacement for...

The Download: Google watch - New Google boss faces keyword battle.(Matt Brittin)
April 1, 2009... While Google is watching you, every month we're watching Google. Occupying Google this month is a top-level reshuffle in the UK, and a court battle with Louis Vuitton. Not to mention the bloke who used Google Earth to nick pounds 100,000...

The Download: Moves - People - Karl Gregory, Match.com.
April 1, 2009... Match.com has appointed Karl Gregory as UK marketing director, with responsibility for implementing a range of strategies to drive acquisition, revenue growth and brand development, as well as overseeing the dating site's multimillion-pound...

Moves - Accounts.
April 1, 2009... The Carbon Trust has appointed Universal McCann to handle its pounds 4 million consolidated media buying account including digital display and search. Nokia has divided its global digital account between Aegis Group's Isobar and US incumbent...

Status update.
April 1, 2009... George Nimeh... joint managing director, iris Digital, is... -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please call 08451 55 73 55 for more information or visit www.haysubs.com

The Download: Briefing - Paid-for blogs - Brands turn to sponsored blogs.
April 1, 2009... A growing number of advertisers are investing in paid-for blog posts rather than display advertising in a bid to generate buzz around their brands. A report from Forrester Research claims that 'sponsored conversation' is emerging as an...

The Download: Briefing - Behavioural targeting - Consumers to get behavioural opt-out.
April 1, 2009... Brands could see the reach of campaigns utilising behavioural targeting thwarted when an opt-out function is introduced in September. Behavioural targeting experts claim that up to 10 per cent of consumers will choose not to receive...

The Download: Briefing - Social media - Skittles knocked down by Twitter feed.
April 1, 2009... Skittles' bold social media strategy has been tempered after a live Twitter feed hosted on its homepage was hijacked by users. The Mars-owned confectionary brand last month rolled out a new homepage featuring a live Twitter feed alongside...

Opinion: User-generated comment.
April 1, 2009... Will Yahoo!'s latest search overhaul allow it to gain market share? Yahoo! is currently trialling its Rich Ads in Search product in preparation for a UK rollout. In the US, the tool, which integrates video and images into paid listings,...

Opinion: Blogs I can't live without.
April 1, 2009... - Art Fag City Paddy Johnson is a Brooklyn-based writer who doesn't pull punches. This art blog smacks you straight between the eyes with especially excellent imagery www.artfagcity.com - Lifehacker This features 20 or so new tips...

Opinion: Spotify does not herald the death of the music industry but its future.
April 1, 2009... Who'd work in the music industry these days? It used to be so cool: free CDs, free gigs and lots of kudos. Now everyone gets their music for free, and if you work in the industry you're castigated as a dinosaur. Life is far from cool, and...

Opinion: Digital holds the key to creativity, so why is there so little of it online?
April 1, 2009... There is a debate raging in the blogosphere about creativity, or the widespread lack of it, in digital brand advertising. Intrigued by this, I decided to talk to Ben Malbon, managing partner of BBH Labs, Bartle Bogle Hegarty's innovation team,...

Opinion: Obama is rebranding USA Inc for the next generation of global consumers.(Barack Obama)
April 1, 2009... I was recently invited on a trip to Washington DC to visit the White House with a handful of young entrepreneurs. We were offered the opportunity to have a candid conversation with senior members of the Obama administration about the economy,...

Online gaming: Game invaders - loading, please wait.
April 1, 2009... The soaring popularity of online gaming has potential for brands hoping to engage consumers in new ways, says Kunal Dutta. New brands are more synonymous with gaming, whether it be on classic consoles or tabletop arcade machines, than...

Innovator: Ford's big Twitter.
April 1, 2009... As Ford's first head of social media, Scott Monty is treading new ground in the car maker's bid to reach out to the Twitter generation. With Ford set to shed 850 UK jobs by the end of the month, why has it employed some guy to 'tweet' about its...

Augmented reality: Reality check.
April 1, 2009... Augmented reality is no longer science fiction, and innovative brands are quickly realising its marketing potential, writes Adam Woods. 'Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you're my only hope.' These were the words uttered by a holographic Princess...

Survival skills: Shape up or shut down - Shut down.
April 1, 2009... A recession is make or break for brands and online businesses. It is also a perfect opportunity for them to get their houses in order, writes Adam Woods. If the swathe of financial and retail disasters feels like acts of a vengeful...

Email: Let's reinvent ... Email.
April 1, 2009... We teamed up with RedEye to bring together five email experts to discuss how brands can make the most of the medium. Elizabeth Clifford- Marsh reports. Revolution Email is ubiquitous as a marketing tool, but are brands taking the right...

Masterclass: Mobile GPS.
April 1, 2009... Much hyped, location-based mobile advertising is finally starting to happen, but brands are still getting to grips with it, says David Murphy. Ever since Tom Cruise's character John Anderton was bombarded by promotional offers as he walked...

Agencies: Special Report - Battle of the brands.
April 1, 2009... LBi and Agency Republic, with their high turnover and headcount, are two of the UK's biggest digital agencies. Kim Benjamin weighs up their offerings now that the recession has taken hold. Digital agencies have enjoyed a prolonged period of...

Agencies: Is it time to dump your agency? Take the test.(interpersonal relationships)
April 1, 2009... We've devised a compatibility test to see whether your agency is still right for your needs. Find out how they score, while Kunal Dutta explains how good relationships can go bad In these difficult times, just how happy are you with...

Agencies: Build your own agency of the future.
April 1, 2009... Digital marketing has become a complex game where change is constant and brands are growing more demanding by the week. Trevor Clawson investigates how agencies must evolve to survive Once upon a time, digital marketing was easy: knock up a...

The Work: From brief to browser - KitKat Agency Skive.
April 1, 2009... Brief: Nestle planned to invest in digital marketing for the first time as part of its promotional strategy for KitKat. The brief was to take the brand's 'ownership of the break' strategy onto the web in order to attract a new generation...

The Work: Case studies - Mobile - Samsung.(Samsung Mobile)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Campaign: 38 Cute Animals, 1 Cool Screen, 8 Different Uses Agency: The Viral Factory Background: Samsung Mobile wanted to promote the launch of its S8300 UltraTouch smartphone and create a buzz around the product among online...

The Work: Case studies - Consumer electronics - Kodak.
April 1, 2009... Campaign: Kodak Snow Stories Agency: Ogilvy Group UK Background: Kodak partnered with winter sports equipment brand Rossignol for a promotional tour of ski resorts across Europe. The initiative involved temporary 'villages' being set...

The Work: Case studies - FMCG - Masterfoods.(Masterfoods A/S)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Campaign: Revels Eviction Agency: MediaCom/Eyeblaster Background: Masterfoods wanted to enable consumers to 'evict' their least favourite flavour from a bag of Revels and have it replaced with a new variety. Aims: As well as...

The Work: Creative review.(Samsung Omnia)
April 1, 2009... 42 good things Reviewed by Aaron Martin, executive creative director, Syzygy London Campaign: 42 good things Brand: Omnia Agency: Projector But thankfully things are changing. Communication is not about brands talking down to...

Diary: Web crawler.(BLM Quantum)
April 1, 2009... - Comic Relief always gives those taking part the opportunity to let their hair down, or in the case of BLM Quantum's Henry Daglish, shave your bonce into a Mohican and black up. As part of the fundraising event, BLM promised a trip to...

Diary: JPEGs.
April 1, 2009... Steak's deputy managing director, Duncan Parry, did his bit for Comic Relief last month by waxing his chest, which lived up to the agency's old motto of 'a rare medium well done'. He then moved the waxing strips onto his right lower leg....

Diary: Questionnaire - Graham Darracott.(Interview)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Graham Darracott is joint managing director of Graphico, the full- service agency that recently became part of Digital Marketing Group. He works with brands including Anne Summers, Carlsberg and Pepsi, having joined the agency 14 years ago....