10 Cool Uses of LED Sign in Times Square

When American Eagle opened its Times Square store in late 2009, most of the attention was on the retailer's sprawling 25,000-square-foot, four-story floor plan. But in the year and half since then, it's the brand's towering building-side LED display that's had the most noticeable impact, even in one of the world's most notoriously cluttered visual landscapes. By the numbers, this digital ziggurat is 15,000 square feet of LED, climbing 25 stories above Broadway and playing animations 18 hours a day. It's one of the nation's premium ad spaces, not only for American Eagle but for the brands and charities that buy (or are given) space there. We've compiled 10 of the more interesting ways the display has been used. Check them out after the jump.

1. '15 Seconds of Fame'
   
   A signature use of the display comes from American Eagle itself—actually, its in-store photo studio, which lets customers pose for pictures that are then displayed on the LED tower, granting them a raucous "15 seconds of fame." Check out the finished product below, and R/GA's case study for more details: American Eagle - 15 Seconds of Fame (case study) 
2. Foursquare
   
   It's not every day that an advertising display itself gets free advertising, but that's essentially what happened when American Eagle's space became home to a massive ad celebrating Foursquare. Sure, it was a great deal for Foursquare, which reportedly didn't pay a dime, but the flood of photos and blog coverage were also great publicity for the Times Square display itself.
3. 'Hear to Help' Haitian Relief
   
   After the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010, American Eagle partnered with Filter magazine to sell a compilation CD, "Hear to Help," with all proceeds going toward Oxfam's relief efforts.
4. Experience China
   
   This video featuring the people of China was commissioned by the Chinese government to help pave the way diplomatically for President Hu Jintao's visit earlier this year.
5. Mexico: 'The Place You Thought You Knew'
   
   Rounding out our trio of international executions is this colorful tourism display for Mexico, which used the ad as part of a campaign aimed at convincing Americans and Canadians that their southern neighbor has more than just beaches.
6. Milus
   
   Now here's a classy way to show the current time. The watch in the ad is accurate in real time and is shown as part of a video loop. You can see it in action here:
   
7. 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1'
   
   Here's a nice wraparound video execution, made to promote Blu-ray sales for the first-last Harry Potter film. Luckily, some wandering muggle snagged a video:
   
8. Fleet Week
   
   American Eagle ratcheted up the patriotism for Fleet Week. Not a bad idea when you've got thousands of sailors and Marines in town looking to check out Times Square.
9. 'Mary Poppins' on Broadway
   
   A photo doesn't do this one much justice, so check out the full animation for the Broadway revival ofMary Poppins here:
   
10. Audi
    
    What, no augmented reality? Audi seemed to pack every other hot bit of mobile tech into this display, which featured QR codes, SMS and location-based check-ins via Facebook Places or Foursquare. By scanning the QR code, you could access a mobile site that let you tweet a message to Times Square. Or learn about the new Audi A7, I suppose.

Before we wrap up, I wanted to show some love to the people behind the scenes. To build the display, American Eagle hired the Barnycz Group to design it, with the screens provided by Barco and the computer systems set up by Activate the Space LLC. R/GA creates much of the content, and the ad space is sold by ABC Regional Sports & Entertainment Sales (which we also thank for providing much of the art for this post).

B2ten / Canadian Sport for Life| a live-action infographic

What is RSS

 
What is RSS and why do you care?
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds are an XML format that was created to syndicate news, and be a means to share content on the Web.
Say you want to read updates from more than two dozen sites weekly. Having a way to subscribe to those sites from a central location, instead of needing to visit them individually, is very convenient. I read about 232 sites and blogs, and pull the questions from LinkedIn for three categories.
You can also syndicate Google Alerts to an RSS reader, for example, and save your inbox for real correspondence. I also have a service that tells me if someone is reposting my feed, which is how I know when sites scrape my content.
As a publisher, you want to offer a way for people to subscribe to your content -- and offering a feed along with an option to receive it in the form of email, is the easiest way to do that.
Despite the link sharing taking place on various social networks -- Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+ -- feeds are still a major way to publish and pull content.





[image courtesy of Stephanie Quilao]

Kerala Tourism| Your moment is waiting

This promotional film for Kerala Tourism can be considered as a refreshing deviation from its usual line of communication. The promotional film titled ‘your moment is waiting’, whether you like it or not, is worth watching.
Kochi based Stark Communications, which has been handling the Kerala Tourism brand for almost two decades, has developed this promotional film, and the credit mainly goes to the renowned ad film maker Prakash Varma.
Well, Kerala has been promoted as ‘God’s own country’ (the credit for coining this much-used tagline too goes for Stark) and almost all the campaigns for KT has pivoted around it. It’s true that Kerala is rich with natural scenery and picture-perfect destinations. Backwaters, paddy fields, Ayurveda- indeed Kerala evokes all these images in the minds of a tourist. However, at some point the frequent use of this imagery in usual communication track seemed a bit tiresome. This commercial too is rich with such imagery, but in a different communication style- it’s bold.

do & DONT'S in an APPLE STORE

Vespa| Map

Advertising Agency: Three, Romania
Creative Director: Andrei Tripsa
Copywriter: Sabin Staicu
Art Director: Nicu Duta
Account Director: Miruna Pop
Illustrator: Nicu Duta

Sharpie| Self Expression

What would the world be like without self-expressiopn? There'd be no purpose. No passion. No putting it out there for everyone to see.

Popout

Axe |Get dirty.

Axe shower gel. As usual, all revolves around sex. And as usual the approach  a little humorous , but very thoughtful.

Saffron Road |Ramadan

In addition to the halal stores which abound throughout America it is also great to know that Saffron Road has entered into a collaboration with Whole Foods Markets to provide halal products during Ramadan.
Saffron Road to Serve Muslim Consumers During Ramadan
Brand Partnering with Whole Foods Market^® to Make an Impact Throughout Islam’s Holiest Month

Stamford, CT – July 20, 2011 – It is not often that brands and retailers in the U.S. acknowledge American Muslim consumers and their majorholidays, but occasionally when they do, they see first hand an outpouring of support from that community. With its high-quality products and dedicated team, American Halal Company, Inc and its brand Saffron Road^™ have established an emotional connection with discerning American Muslims consumers.  Given Saffron Road’s mission to better serve the ongoing Halal needs of its American Muslim consumer base, it has big plans to more deeply connect with and better serve its core constituency during the month-long Ramadan festivities in August.

Each night of Ramadan includes festive iftars or breaking of the fasts with family, friends and communities. To help its Muslim consumers celebrate, Saffron Road is partnering with Whole Foods Market to host several blog posts and offer shoppers chances to win free Saffron Road products and a $100 Whole Foods Market gift card on the grocer’s Whole Story Blog.
“Support for Halal foods, and in particular our brand Saffron Road, during Ramadan from Whole Foods Market on a national, regional and corporate level is going to be a huge deal among many otherwise disenfranchised Muslim communities. We anticipate an outpouring of support and purchases by the thousands of American Muslims who will flock into Whole Foods Market stores,” says Adnan Durrani, CEO of Saffron Road. “This will be the first time a major grocery chain in the U.S. acknowledges Ramadan in this way on a national level. Considering Saffron Road’s products are available in over 90% of Whole Foods Market stores nationwide, this is a major positive move forward for addressing the needs of the American Halal consumer all over the U.S.”

Saffron Road will also collaborate with Halal food expert, Yvonne Maffei of the popular blog, My Halal Kitchen, to bring consumers Ramadan-related tips and recipes to prepare for suhoor and iftar meals throughout the season.

In addition, the brand is also offering downloadable coupons with media outlets such as Zabihah.com andelan throughout Ramadan. In keeping with its commitment to being a truly social brand, Saffron Road is also engaging with consumers through Facebook Social Ads. The brand’s Facebook campaign will be geared toward gaining more “likes” and engagement for its page, as well as giving consumers the ability to help the company give back to the community. Saffron Road pledges to give 50 cents for each new “like” itsFacebook page receives during its Ramadan campaign to its charity partners, Whole Planet Foundation and The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
All 12 of Saffron Road’s frozen products are Halal Certified by the Islamic Food andNutrition Council of America (IFANCA).

“Never before has it been so easy for the Halal consumer to reach for convenient, healthy andcompletely Halal meals to make at-home dining alone or in small groups something special and easy,” says Yvonne Maffei of My Halal Kitchen. “Many of Saffron Road’s products are easy to incorporate into the iftar experience or add to them. New frozen chicken items like the Chicken Tenders are wonderful for the kids or to add some heartiness to an otherwise boring salad. The broth varieties coming out soon will make Halal cooking even easier as the first on the market that Muslim shoppers can trust in quality and authenticity.”

From promotions atretail, leveraging influencers, and online engagement to charitable donations and contests on popular Muslim blogs; look for Saffron Road to help Muslim consumers make this Ramadan one to remember.

About Saffron Road                                                                                                                                                                                           
American Halal Co. markets All Natural Halal Certified food under the Saffron Road brand. Adnan Durrani, the CEO, and Jack Acree, the EVP, are serial entrepreneurs having been involved in companies like Vermont Pure Spring Water, Stonyfield Farms, Inc., Alexia Foods, and Terra Chips. The Company’s management and Board represent a team of proven entrepreneurs at building premium food brands. Saffron Road’s mission is to offer All Natural Halal Certified and Gluten Free foods which are also holistic, sustainably farmed, and anti-biotic free.  Saffron Road’s products are sourced from livestock which is fed only 100% vegetarian feed and are humanely treated. The Company seeks to bring its mission to a higher awakening with the local and global community, embodying a socially conscious company ethic as well as setting the standard for premium qualityHalal Cuisine.

Media Contacts: Lisa Mabe, Hewar Social Communications, 202.834.4498,lisa@hewarcommunications.com                                   
Kate Tayloe, American Halal Company, Inc., 203.961.1954 x100, kate@americanhalal.com
For more information about Saffron Road, please visit www.saffronroadfood.com. You can also join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SaffronRoadFood and follow us on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/SaffronRoadFood.

YES YOU CAN!

When watching Italian television, is that you follow with addiction is that you look at it with the intention of highlighting weaknesses and superficiality, it may be hard to imagine something different. Maybe we would understand each other, but it is hard to say exactly what . Since viewers are not told that you have the creativity of those who, by profession, working behind the scenes and designs. For example, and I would like to tell you, I was having dinner the other night watching French TV.

Small necessary premise: I also like many of you for years I had left the TV , even when I lived in Italy, I had switched off permanently and with joy. Then, finding abroad (when I go to Berlin partitaper) in my apartment working on a furnished huge television looking at me slyly. I switched on to improve my language skills and I discovered that there may be interesting broadcasts, good movies not interrupted by advertising and broadcast not only in the pay channels, reports on the history or literature of the 900 ... I mean, at the end rather than an exercise in language has become a useful pleasure. Now that I moved to France, I've got the TV for you, to tell you something from the crackling pages of this blog.

As I was saying the other night, doing dig ng, I ended up on my favorite channel, Arte , a Franco-German channelprogramming from the very interesting , I was following with passion even when I was in Germany. They were sending a report entitled Rondes et belles , the theme was beauty in the models in the flesh and was told to carry out a kind of contest to become professional models for what are called "plus size".

Inizialm body I feared the worst, I do not like that obesity is treated spettacolarizzante hate the feeling of being in front of a TV of pain and derision at the same time. In fact, I soon realized that I did not believe in the Italian TV never attended a festival of faces and bodies so different from the standard, so far away from the touch-up surgery or Photoshop, so real and true and I liked what I saw was new to me!

In addition to the competition, and to explore the subject of fashionable plus-size fashion designers showing some German trasferitesi in London and working in this field, have shown parts of a thorough interview with the creator of the campaign and bubble bath soaps  Where which expressed their the desire to enact ordinary women to advertise suitable creams aimed at all types of beauty , maybe not even that of women or girls r more ispondenti fees to a market that smooths and flattens.

Some of these photos were taken from the other by an established artist, photographer, Annie Leibovitz, (also known for being the companion of the renowned intellectual Susan Sontag).

Afterwards, once this service, have an interesting broadcast dedicated to thedance company " Dance Massive "by Juan Miguel Mas founded in 1996, the first dancer weighs 130kg.

I assure you that even here there was nothingridicolizzante, indeed. The issue of obesity, taken seriously and told with great seriousness and transport in fragments of interviews with members of the corps de ballet of this company, has been treated anything but superficial.

Some of these dancers have in fact reported in the specific disease that affects the metabolism and the resulting physical difficulties in everyday life, such as the psychological not feel accepted by society and then even from themselves. I assure you, however, observed that if there is no room to dance to indulge in pathetic pietism: the lightness, the poetry, the emotion that caused me to look on some of their choreographies can not tell easily. I found good and beautiful!

I then had the feeling that the pipe market was coming to tell me as to other viewers a great life lesson, an exercise in understanding and appreciation of differences, an exercise of freedom of thought and art made ​​without undue emphasis. It was to show their work, in which the size of excellence, overcoming the stereotype, these artists have found it possible to move us even finding yourself and accepting your body sometimes sick, sometimes simply just outside the standards that the market imposes.

But I came up with our television, and I wondered if we would ever be able to see something similar . So much truth, much reality in the faces and human beings, true, recounting with great dignity, professionalism and passion of their experiences, their art, without being ridiculed or reduced to a freak show.

I've come up with Pina Bausch, the more I know I quote, is one of my heroes, I thought his company of dancers who continue to dance while being grown up or older with her without stopping to talk about the stage, I thought their bodies so far from the standards, and so expressive, so exciting and beautiful.

I was reminded of the history of painting, the Madonna by Leonardo chubby moms-to meat tormented the models of Lucien Freud (great painter, who died a few days ago.)

I thought the beauty of African women, tall and stout, that populate my neighborhood where I live here, whose shapes are accented by brightly colored clothing so as to be an ode to the vital energy regardless. When you see them dancing are light, fast and happy, they are accepted fact, not just pose the question, no self-psychological torture, clothes of all sizes and living differences, all right by us!

I thought (professional deformation, is still an art historian!) To the Paleolithic Venus, images of the beauty of mother earth, a symbol of femininity and life and as such full of matter, of flesh and roundness. So, forgive me if I'm bored, but I just wanted to tell you how, from a normal night television, I went to a flight of fancy for me, inspiring .

When the television is well structured, I really think it can be a source of information and open horizons, the source of reasoning and not of intellectual slumber.

For entertaining there is no need to impoverish the content. In Italy they take us for fools indeed, suffer Tamarreide and Big Brother watching channels like this, but enough of art to realize that the TV we must not throw it away, indeed.

You simply take it back, do not you think? Do not we deserve the quality of a TV?

I greet you recommending this video , soundtrack recurring transmission of Art which I have spoken. It's called Give me the food , and the singer (Romanian-German nationality) is Miss Platnum. Happy listening!

A myth | the right agency

'Don't pick a company. Pick a culture.'

The advice i can give  is to look for a culture that doesn't only produce great work but also great people. I guess most of us know deep inside it's more than work that matters, we can break down agency culture into five points and shared simple ways on how to recognize it. 

1. Collaboration
If you get into a culture that values collaboration, there's room for client to contribute. Places that value collaboration tend not to be about the person, they tend to be about 'THE BEST IDEA WINS'. This is not about people or ego, it's about the idea. How you recognize it:

• How are people seated? Departments? Integrated? Floors?
• Do they assign ideas to people? Groups? The boss? Name on the door?
• How do they review work? In the open? Corner office? Small/big?

2. Generosity
It takes generosity to teach. A culture of generosity will allow people to explore their own ideas, potential, find their own voice and learn from failure. How you recognize it:

• Do co-workers celebrate brand success as their own? Do they want what you want for yourself?
• How do they give and share credit?
• What's the approach to training and education? 

3. Courage
Client need an organization that stands up for brave ideas. How you recognize it:

• Do you look at their work and ask 'How the hell did they do that?'
• How many ideas do they bring to a pitch?
• Have they ever resigned business for a creative or cultural differences?

4. Accountability
A culture of accountability quickly teaches that success or failure matters. Being accountable for the outcome, either positive or negative, is leadership. Be in a culture that shares your definition of success and that teaches you to lead. How you recognize it:

• Do they embrace metrics? Do set them at all?
• What is the ultimate win to them? Awards? $$$? Long relationships? Happy clients?
• What is the compensation structure for clients? For staff? For leaders? What does it reward? Performance? Seniority? Internal political success?

5. Ambition
It's important to understand your brand ambitions and find an agency that shares the same ambitions.  If you're missmatch it's going to be a bad relationship. If you aspire to greatness, attach yourself to an organization that aspires to greatness. How you recognize it:

• What goals do they aspire to? Success as defined by clients, industry or culture?
• Do they talk about what they could do better more than what they do well?
• Do they visibly push themselves?
• Do they attract 'Challenger' clients and brands?