Christine Persaud

Fascinating YouTube Ad Brings Ordinary Products into the Spotlight

Advertising is an intriguing, ever-evolving, always exciting business. The popularity of movies like Glengarry, Glen Ross, and TV shows like the Emmy award winning Mad Men, based on the Madison avenue advertising executives in the '60s, prove just how fascinated society is with advertising. It's one of those businesses that will always be around, and will always be changing. The typical TV commercial market is still going relatively strong, although facing hefty competition from the dreaded PVR and on-demand TV. But complementing it is the existence in in-show "ads," product placements, and even subtle mentions, all methods that are growing like gangbusters. Likewise, while print advertising remains an intimate and interactive kind of advertising in the traditional sense (much like reading a book is arguably just as interactive for the mind, if not more, than watching a movie), so, too, has Web advertising complemented the experience, and afforded the ability for so much more than just a static image or an animated GIF. We've even evolved past just "traditional" Web advertising into the realm of social media integration. Consider the highly successful Old Spice Twitter/YouTube campaign as an ideal example of that.

I've seen some wild and crazy stuff; from the aforementioned Old Spice campaign, to even virtual ads where you can rotate an image 360-degrees to view it from every angle. But none has impressed me more than a YouTube ad I came across the other day for, ironically, a very antiquated product: the Tipp-Ex ink correction device. Yes, white-out. One of those little gadgets that run a piece of white material overtop text in a document, allowing you to write over it.

The YouTube video at first appears to be an NSFW ("Not Safe For Work") video of a hunter shooting and killing a bear out in the woods. But at the last minute, the hunter gets cold feet and asks you, the viewer, in Choose Your Own Adventure style, to decide whether he should kill the bear or not. Regardless of which answer you click on, the end result is that he chickens out, and decides he no longer wants to commit the heinous murder. What really makes your eyes bug out, however, is what happens next. He reaches his arm literally outside of the video window, and grabs a Tipp-Ex ink correction device right out of the standard big box ad that's strategically placed to the right of the video. He moves it over and up to the video title, and whites out the word "shoots" in the title "A hunter shoots a bear?" Then, peering longingly into the camera, he asks you to type in what you'd like to see him do to the bear instead. Regardless of what you type, there's a subsequent video to entertain you. Want to see him hug the bear? No problem. Love it? Yep. Eat it? Sure (although, not to give anything away, he won't really eat the real bear.) Even if you get a little naughty with your choice, you'll get a humorous response.

It's the most compelling online advertisement I've seen, and one that will really give other creative agencies a run for their money. What's most impressive, however, is that the ad has managed to get attention for a product that's not exactly conducive to the highly digital nature of our world today; even less so when it comes to things like social networking: the concept of "white out" is defined by a simple backspace key!

Will the ad, which was commissioned by parent company BIC (the same co. that makes those handy pens!) translate to actual sales of Tipp-Ex products? Who knows. Maybe not for the ink correction device. But the next time you're in a store and see the Tipp-Ex brand name slapped onto a product, chances are you'll smirk at the memory of this video, won't you? And chances are that you'll end up gravitating to that brand; perhaps without even realizing it.

Kudos to the advertising agency that developed this highly compelling ad. It's the kind of thing you'd expect to see come from Don Draper if he were here in today's tech-savvy world. The video has already received more than four-million views in just two weeks. Whether that translates to four million purchases, or four, the brand recognition it has generated is an immeasurable example of the success.

Published: 09/08/2010 04:31:05 PM UTC By Christine Persaud

Google Instant Gives You Immediate Search Results

The media is a-buzz about Google Instant, which affords instant detailed search results as you type. But it's important to note that the "Instant" is not the new part of the equation, as most reports make it seem. It's the "detailed" that marks what's new about this service.

First, let me point out that when it comes to composing e-mails or text messages, I absolutely detest predictive text input. I'm not talking about the auto-complete function you'll get with the Apple iPhone, or the SureType system that's offered with the BlackBerry Pearl. I'm talking about that annoying T9 prediction option that attempts to determine what you're typing, and frequently gets it wrong. But when it comes to search engines, I love it. I can start typing in a person's name or series of keywords, and options will pop up automatically, allowing me to scroll down and pick the one I want effortlessly, without having to bother wasting my precious fingers' efforts to continue depressing keys. Keep in mind that prediction isn't a new feature with Google Instant; Google has had instant predictive input with its search engine for some time now. (For example, if you wanted to search for "Marketnews", you'll notice "Mapquest" come up as a top result once you type "Ma." Add the "r" and "k," and you'll see "marks work wearhouse," and finally "Marketnews" once you get to "Marketne.") The only real new innovation with Instant is that you not only see the results adjust within that tiny, central search box; you also see a list of the results being created, in real-time, as you type. That includes links, sources, cached text, and images. Currently, all you see is a blank, white screen in the background as you type.

According to Google, the idea is that people read (or at least scan) quicker than they can type. Essentially, the multi-tasking Google Instant will afford; being able to type while your eyes flitter across the results being generated in the background; will help Web surfers save time. In Google's eyes (pun intended) that could mean up to five seconds per search.

For those, like me, who tend to type pretty quickly, though, consider how many pages you'll see flashing in the background as you rapidly punch in the letters pertaining to the person, place, or keyword you seek. It might almost be enough to induce an immediate headache! (Then again, I haven't been able to try out Instant since my browser insists on forcing me over to the google.ca portal any time I try to surf to google.com, which is currently the only spot to try it out. You can get it via Google.ca if you log in to an account, but even then, the service is still in the midst of being rolled out, and hasn't quite reached my account just yet.)

I can, however, see how the instant nature of the detailed results can be helpful; being able to determine whether you're inputting the proper product's name or model number, for example, via things like thumbnail photos that depict what it looks like; or determining whether the search terms you're typing will generate the most accurate results without having to hit the "search" button and wait those agonizing two seconds first.

But where I would really see Google Instant coming in handy is through mobile devices; ironically, the one spot where it is not yet available. For one, people surfing on their mobiles are likely doing so in a relatively time-sensitive situation (i.e. trying to get directions to a spot they're headed, or find the phone number for the doctor's office while on the road.) Second, if you have a data plan with a very limited number of megabytes, the more data you can save by clicking instantly on the proper results you want, the better. And finally, it'll make navigating through search results easier on a mobile device that might not have the nicest screen, or the most intuitive layout for certain types of Webpages.

Naysayers need not worry: just like with T9, Google Instant can be turned off if you prefer not to use it. And using SafeSearch, you can filter results so that the kids don't see lewd images appear before their eyes as they begin typing a word with a few initial letters that could generate, er, questionable imagery. The service works across the most popular Web browsers, and will be rolling out the countries other than the U.S. shortly.

Have you tried Google Instant yet?

Published: 09/08/2010 03:23:19 PM UTC By Christine Persaud

Technology Comes Full Circle ; Google CEO Schmidt Quotes Einstein

We've heard of reinventing the wheel. And in Google CEO Eric Schmidt's closing keynote at IFA 2010 in Berlin, we can truly see how the latest smartphones and other like gadgets are truly reinventing the wheel of technology we saw 80 years ago. Or at least the feelings about technology, and what it could accomplish.

In Schmidt's keynote, he made similar comments to those attendees heard from Einstein during his speech in 1930.

"The future is now," they both stated. Back in 1930, Einstein spoke of the radio as having the ability to enable communication and connect people. That means everyone; "not just the elite." Schmidt says we'll see the same today of the smartphone. With more than 200,000 Android-powered devices being activated every day, "the Internet," he noted, "will soon deliver information to three-or-four-billion people via smartphones." This means not just the businessman who owns an Android phone (or a BlackBerry, iPhone, or other like device, for that matter), or the tech-savvy early adopter, or the young and hip student. It'll be everyone, everywhere, who'll have the power of a mobile computer in his hand. Just like, as Einstein predicted eight decades ago, the radio became a staple in every household.

"Google today connects people to the Internet and opens the world in the same way radio did 80 years ago," says Jen Heithecker, Executive Director of IFA, which is known as the world's largest consumer electronics and home appliances trade show.

Some of the upcoming technologies Schmidt alluded to would sound like downright "science fiction," back in the 1930s, said the CEO. These include things like voice-powered and street view searches for Android, access to Android and the Android app store via GoogleTV, and the ability to use an Android phone (and the iPhone) as a remote for Google TV. (Google TV is set to launch this Fall in the U.S.)

When Einstein spoke of the radio, eager listeners were no doubt on the tips of their toes, "oohing" and "aahing" in anticipation of what it could bring to society. Much like we, today, "ooh" and "ahh" at the latest technology marvels; from the iPad and iPhone, to things like GoogleTV, 3D, and wireless networking. Technology has come full circle, but the circle continues to loop around again and again. Just like that wheel we keep reinventing.

Consider that 80 years from now, our descendants will look at rudimentary things like the iPhone and high-definition TV and smirk at their simplicity. You call that technology? The wheels will, no doubt, continue to roll on far beyond what we could ever imagine.

Published: 09/07/2010 02:41:37 PM UTC By Christine Persaud

Enduring The Inevitable 3D BS Bandwagon Mentality

Guest blog by Robert Franner

When the Compact Disc debuted in the early ‘80s, it created a buzz and revitalized the audio industry. "Perfect sound forever?" Maybe not quite, but instant track access, and above all, robustness (scratches have no effect on sound, to a point) were truly revolutionary in their day.

Even if many audiophiles went on to decry digital sound as edgy and inferior to analogue for some valid reasons at the time (for example, engineers used to a lossy analog recording chain hadn't yet grasped how to voice microphones for digital systems that wouldn't soften in the same way; and especially, sloppy CD production techniques where the recording was pre-emphasized, but the flag to de-emphasize the treble boost wasn't always inserted or recognized by the player, resulting in playback that was indeed too bright), digital audio was a definite step up in fidelity for the hoi polloi.

What was became increasingly unendurable for this observer, was the stampede to capitalize on "digital" the more it captured the public's eye, for spurious reasons. For example, we soon saw the Compact Disc logo along with that deadly stupid suffix "Ready" on countless loudspeakers and headphones.

And what did Compact Disc Ready denote? That the loudspeaker and/or headphones were now engineered to cope with the massively greater dynamic range purportedly offered by digital sound; the inference being that this was either necessary or could be achieved with no compromise. ‘We could always have made super-efficient speakers that would make your ears bleed with one watt input if we wanted to, but there was little point: your record player simply couldn't supply such wide-ranging sound.'

What rubbish! Countless LPs from Wilson Audio, Telarc, and popular labels compared with the very best CDs in terms of dynamic range. There are many things to recommend the CD over the venerable LP, but nothing at all in the respective technologies that should dictate a different approach when it comes to designing a power amplifier, loudspeaker, headphones, or earbuds.

Thankfully, that ruse has mercifully faded into oblivion.

But now we need to steel ourselves for the sequel: 3D audio. A stampede of audio marketers will soon festoon their systems (most of which will doubtless be low-fi, commodity trash priced well below the $500 mark) with 3D something-or-other, once the public shows more enthusiasm for images that seem to jump out of the screen.

Now there may be a complicating factor. Some manufacturers may legitimately denote 3D audio readiness in their AVRs and processors, strictly in the sense that such products provide synchronization circuitry in the event that intensive processing required for 3D video causes the sound to precede the picture.

They're off the hook. The target of my wrath is the anticipated onslaught of low-fi peddlers claiming to have added some circuit that achieves for audio what 3D does for video.

Three dimensional audio? That's been the holy grail for audiophiles since the ‘60s. And the better systems, yes, even from that era, have been capable of far more compelling three dimensionality than the best 3D video systems this observer has seen to date.

That's not a put-down of 3D video today, or where it's headed. It's simply that audio (when properly executed) has an easier time of creating a convincing illusion than does video, all things being equal.

I think two factors ensure that this will always be so. One, is that video has to exceed the viewer's peripheral vision to overcome his feeling of looking through a window rather than experiencing reality. Front projo systems with a 120' screen? Close, but no cigar. Nothing short of IMAX for the home would compete, and even then, there would remain an obstacle.

That's because when we observe a scene, we tend to dynamically process it, focusing to infinity here, and then readjusting as we shift our gaze to objects in the near field, dilating our pupils to take in shadow areas and closing them down to view the bright stuff as needed. Then we combine all these impressions into an optimized image that can't be captured by a single video camera (two or three dimensional).

We don't tend to shift our focus with sound, certainly not to the same extent, which makes reproducing the live event more practical (even if perfection will likely always elude us).

So, even if a half-century later, you haven't yet taken in a thrilling 3D audio presentation, head down to a quality retailer and ask to audition one of the better systems. Pick suitable demo material, close your eyes (or dim the lights), and savour that convincing "you are there" illusion to the fullest.

And when you encounter el cheapo audio systems emblazoned with some sort of 3D logo, or are advertised with 3D phraseology (with the exception of the synchronization issues noted above), let that be your tip-off: charlatans after your money!

3D Audio anyone? The old groove grinder depicted here may not have been up to the task, but audiophiles have been enjoying three-dimensional sound-field recreation since the ‘60s.

Published: 09/01/2010 09:37:04 AM UTC By Christine Persaud

Google Chrome Experiment Lets You Relive Your Teenage Angst in HTML5

I was urged this morning to have a look at Google's latest project: an HTML "movie," if you will, that combines direction from Chris Milk, music from the band Arcade Fire, and the street you grew up in an interactive, browser display that brings back memories of your childhood as if you were watching the scene of a movie.

Okay, so you don't necessarily have to enter the address at which you spent so many of your younger years in particular, but the concept certainly lends itself best to doing so. Visit www.chromeexperiments.com/arcadefire, enter the address, including city and province, wait for it to load, and hit "play movie." (You don't necessarily need to have the Google Chrome browser: I viewed it in Safari and it appears identically to how it does in Chrome.)

So at what exactly will you be looking? The video begins with what appears to be a teenage boy (but also possibly girl) running along the dark, damp streets at night, with his/her head covered by a comfortable grey hoodie. Is that a younger version of you? Why, yes, believe that it is. A new window opens in the top, left showing birds flying across the sky while the sun comes up. The angst-ridden song from Arcade Fire, "I Used to Wait," plays in the background with haunting lyrics like "our lives are changing fast," and "how we used to wait for letters to arrive," and discussions of the "wilderness downtown" (which is, as such, the name of the project.) Throughout the song, windows pop up in various sections of the screen, as if you're getting a bunch of annoying pop-up ads. Except they display varying parts of the scene: different camera angles of "you" running; a pan down the very street with which you spent so much time (compliments of Google Street View); a bird's eye view of the entire neighbourhood (a la Google Maps). The idea is, of course, to make it look as though the youth is revisiting your street..or, as opined above, that the youth is, in fact, you traveling down that street once again.

The end result isn't Hollywood-worthy by any means, but it also isn't trying to be. The idea is to demonstrate the power and evolution of the Web browser, including developments made possible through HTML 5 audio, video, animated windows, JavaScript controllers, and "mash-ups" with Google Maps and Street View. At the end of the "video", you also have the chance to try out a drawing tool.
I encourage you to check it out, just to see the potential of the Web, and the way that it may be utilized years from now. If for no other reason, it'll be neat to punch in your old address and take a 4-minute walk (or rather run) down memory lane.

Published: 08/30/2010 03:22:48 PM UTC By Christine Persaud