GEN WOW: The Latest In Digital Marketing, from the Author of BRANDING UNBOUND, and THE ON-DEMAND BRAND

My Exclusive Interview with ADWEEK's 'Creative Director of the Decade'

You'll want to check out my exclusive interview with Alex Bogusky, ADWEEK's Creative Director of the Decade, in my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (AMACOM, April, 2010), which hits stores in April. Bogusky talks about his creative approach doing "whatever it takes" to make his clients famous in the digital age.

You'll also go behind the scenes with Derek Robson, managing partner of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, ADWEEK's Agency of the Decade, as he talks about Goodby's efforts to reinvent itself for the on-demand era.

And you'll get the inside scoop on ADWEEK readers Super Bowl Spot of the Decade, "Free Doritos," from the guys who created it - and a whole lot more.

Okay, that's enough shameless self promotion for today.

Check out the book, here.

And check out ADWEEK's Best of the Decade report, here.

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Mazda 2 Augmented Reality Experience At LA Auto Show

Maybe not the best use of augmented reality - really just eye candy and in a location where you really just want people to marvel over the car.

But still, another example of the proliferating use of augmented reality to attract consumer attention.

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Lonely Planet Enters Augmented Reality

Travel brand Lonely Planet has teamed with Mobilizy to bring augmented reality to, well, augment, content in the Lonely Planet Compass guides. Now useful information about your surroundings, nearby landmarks and other points of interest will overlay the view in your Android camera phone, according to reports in Wired.

That means an all new way to experience cities like Boston, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and more. 

Sure, as AD AGE points out to day, augmented reality is getting seriously over-hyped. It usually involves a download (lame!), is usually pretty glitchy, and even the most widely touted experiences (Esquire's Augmented Reality Issue) are underwhelming.

But that doesn't mean AR isn't going to be big. And the right ways to use it - in my view, mostly mobile - could open up all new opportunities for marketers.

Read more about the Lonely Planet initiative, here.

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'Avatar' XBox Live Goes Augmented Reality Route

I was just commenting that with Coke Zero's "augmented reality"-inspired "Avatar" cross-promotional TV spot that I hoped there would be actual augmented reality components to the movie's marketing efforts.

Now there is, with this AR-based element of the new Xbox game.

I hope there's more than this - this seems like the perfect movie for AR experiences - it appears someone in James Cameron's camp is on the same page - or floating off it, as the case may be.

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Coke Zero Mines Augmented Reality In 'Avatar' Cross Promotion

Coke Zero - they of the Coke Zero Facebook Facial Profiler app - are mining the augmented reality wave  with a new commercial tied to James Cameron's new movie Avatar, which opens next month (if it can be completed in time.). Not sure if this is from Crispin, and I'm not sure if there's an actual AR experience tied to it yet. But I hope there will be.

In my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (Amacom/McGraw Hill, Spring 2010), I look at AR as an increasingly popular way to create engaging brand experiences for consumers. Prinz Pinakatt, head of interactive for Coca-Cola Europe, has some particularly insightful things to say about the future of AR in branding. You definitely won't want to miss it.

Find out more, here.

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Sneak Peak Video: Esquire's Augmented Reality Issue

Posted about this a while back. Here's a sneak peak.

Looks very cool - but let's face it. This needs to get to mobile augmented reality soon.

How many people read magazines while they're sitting in front a of a computer?

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Burger King's Augmented Reality Banner Uses Dollar Bill Instead of Print Out

Big week for augmented reality, judging from my posts the last few days. And a big week for Burger King, what with its seven-patty Microsoft 7 Whopper sandwich (with extra cheese).

Now, there's this inventive little augmented reality banner. Instead of printing out an AR symbol, you just hold a dollar bill up to your webcam to see what a buck will buy you at BK.

Who knew the King was both creepy and cool?

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BRANDING UNBOUND: THE BLOG - The latest in mobile marketing
BRANDING UNBOUND The Book
ADWEEK Magazines Excerpt
Rick Mathieson.com

The Augmented Reality Issue of Esquire

Esquire is taking print magazines where they've never been. Again.

First there was the video-like, E-ink-enabled cover and inside spread ad in the 7th Anniversary issue.

Now, it's augmented reality, with a series of AR symbols featured throughout the pub. When held up to a webcam, or presumably some camera phones, scenes from fashion spreads come to life. According to today's Wall Street Journal, "A fashion spread about dressing in layers, for example, shows actor Jeremy Renner shedding a coat and sweater as the weather turns from rainy to sunny. Turning the magazine triggers a snow flurry, and Mr. Renner puts on more clothes and throws snowballs."

Apparently the issue's edition of "Funny Joke from a Beautiful Woman" features Gillian Jacobs, who, once activated using the AR symbol, says she'll tell a second, "'dirtier' joke should readers return after midnight." Which would indicate something is built in the symbol to check the time on our computer when you scan it.

Could be a lot of fun, or cheese. No word yet if any advertisers are participating - though I think it's better when advertisers use AR symbols on their own (they don't need the magazine's help to do it), rather than participate in a "special issue" where the actual usefulness of the experience is an afterthought.

Read more, here.

You'll also be able to see how a growing number of marketers are using augmented reality, in my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (Amacom/McGraw-Hill), which hits stores this next spring. Find out more, here.

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Tassimo Uses Augmented Reality To Demonstrate Smart Brewing Technology

But fair warning: You're going to need your morning coffee before you sit through this one.

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Back from Digital Hollywood

Just don't call us the Digital Hollywood Squares.

I was in Santa Monica this week to participate in a panel discussion on games as an advertising and marketing platform for entertainment and consumer products brands.

It was a lively discussion with executives from several of the online and mobile gaming outfits, and hosted by James Green, CEO of Giant Realm. Great group of people, and an interesting debate.

Some really intelligent (and funny) people aboard - which made it feel like a game show.

Peter Marshall, eat your heart out.

Read more, here.

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Back from DTC; Next Up: Digital Hollywood

Been a crazy month: Spoke at the Global Retail Executive Council event at CTIA in San Diego, then this last week, at the DTC Fall event in New Jersey. This week: a panel on gaming as an advertising platform at Digital Hollywood at the Loews Santa Monica Hotel in Santa Monica.

Should be a lot fun...and games. (Sorry.)

I'll post about it all next week.

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See Rick at DTC Fall Conference: Top Digital Marketing Trends for Pharma Marketing in 2010

DTC's is having a decidedly tough year, what with the economy, reform measures like the "Just Say No To Drug Ads Act" and other reform measures, and new FTC rulings of search engine marketing and social networking.

So on Thursday, I'm going to be addressing the second day of the Fall DTC conference on ways to leverage the power of digital to reach consumers in amazing new (and highly ethical) ways.

This is the second time the conference has asked me to speak, and if it's anything like last time, it should be a lot of fun. Read more about the conference, here. 

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First Look: The Cover of My New Book, 'The On-Demand Brand'

Forgot to mention that during my speaking engagement at the Global Retail Executive Council at CTIA this week, I was able to share the first glimpse of the cover art for my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (Amacom/McGraw-Hill, Spring, 2009). Be sure to read all about the book, here. 

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ESPN Interactive Store Window Lets You Play Virtual Catch Football

Is it Monday yet?

Well if it can't come soon enough, you're going to love this interactive storefront window from Wieden + Kennedy New York, which lets you play an interactive, gesture-recognizing touch screen game of virtual catch with footballs thrown by an onscreen virtual quarterback.

You even get yardage meters the chance to compete with others, and commentary about your catches, fumbles and more from ESPN talent.

Get in touch with your inner football player - and see footage of this experience -  here (via Creativity).

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Video: Nokia's Vision For 'Mixed Reality'

In my book BRANDING UNBOUND, I write about how the late Michael Dertouzos, head of MIT's Laboratory for Computer Sciences, once explained to me that the future of mobile will very likely evolve to augmented or mixed reality experienced through tricked-out glasses.

We'll check email and exchange personal contact information and even multimedia with our friends and colleagues while on the go, locate friends in relation to our physical location, place transactions without ever reaching for a wallet or purse, and more, he told me.

At the time, it seemed far fetched that mobile would move from a handset to a headset, so to speak.

But Nokia released a video today that shows its vision for mixed reality is a lot like Dertouzos's. At least, the parts that don't remind some YouTube commentators of stalkers and sound effects from "Resident Evil."

What it all means to media and marketing remains to be seen. Hopefully it won't mean ads popping up based on our location, but rather, the ability to respond to commercial messages we see in other media, right at the point of impression. My new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, takes it all a step further with new forms of mixed reality like this one.

One thing's for sure. Things are going to change over the next few years - at least if Nokia has anything to say about it.

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BMW's New Augmented Reality Glasses Show You How To Fix Your Car

Sure could have used this back in high school. (Well, okay, I could use it now, too.)

BMW, which has been working the augmented reality angle for marketing campaigns for some time, has come up with a brilliant idea to offer AR as a service a well.

In this case, we're talking about a pair of glasses that assist tehir own mechanics in performing maintenance on the company's cars. According to Popular Science, the glasses read the field of view, point out the part that needs fixing or replacement - and tells you what to do, complete with audio track.

But as PopSci points out, the real potential lies in bringing this to home mechanics who want to tone those bad boy Beemers but don't have a clue how to do it.

Read more, here.

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Lego Builds Augmented Reality Into Gameplay

Legos have put the building blocks of augmented reality into play.

The brand's "Bionicle" - think toys and a TV show centered on robots - will now be the focus of an online augmented reality experience, according to Media in Canada.

the experience will be activated via webcam and flash animation that brings the online and real world together as part of a game called "Bionicle Glatorial Legends." I assume they meant something around gladiators ("Gladiatorian"?). The fun begins Augst 31 and will be available for six weeks.

Personally, I think it'd be cool to use Legos as the AR markers or symbols and enable people to actually go into or interact with, their own Lego creations.

But this sounds like a cool start.

Read more, here.

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Sean Kingston's New CD Features Augmented Reality Karaoke Session

Reggae star Sean Kingston wants to give you a little taste of "Tomorrow" today.

That CD booklet for that new album, coming September 22, will feature an AR icon that will instantly launch an 3D, holographic karaoke session with Kingston via his official website.

As Prinz Pinakatt, head of interactive marketing for Coca-Cola Europe, tells me in my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (hitting bookstores this next spring), that most major brands will add some kind of AR effort to their marketing initiatives over the next year.

I think it's safe to say that will definitely be the case for entertainment brands hoping to make the most of the technology, whatever "Tomorrow" may bring.

Read more, here.

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'District 9' Augmented Reality 'Training' Part of Extensive Online Campaign

I'm intrigued by the new movie "District 9," which tells the story of alien encounters not from the "what will they do to us" perspective, but "what will we do to them."

As part of the campaign for the film, which opens nationally today, several online components are available from the official movie website, including an game based on the film, math tests based on the idea of combining human and alien DNA to enhance performance, and an augmented reality training course for managing our captives.

Peter Jackson's behind the film, so you knew it was going to be cool, right? 

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Apple To Unleash iPhone Augmented Reality Apps

Augmented reality? There's an app for that - or at least there will be many such apps, starting this September.

Adweek says augmented reality will be bigger than Twitter, YouTube and Second Life - combined.

And Coca-Cola's Prinz Pinakatt tells me that within a year, every major brand will have an augmented reality campaign.

And beginning next month, Apple will supercharge the trend by enabling developers to start creating iPhone AR apps that make it so consumers can point their camera phone at a QR code or other symbol to engage in a 3D, holographic interaction with your brand.

In my new book THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, I look at the trend, and how companies like Coca-Cola, BMW, Doritos and many others are already capitalizing on AR to astonishing effect.

Whether AR lives up to the hype remains to be seen (as an aside, I just wish many of these cool AR experiences worked on Apple computers, let alone iPhones). But it's clear that it will be Topic A in 2010.

Apple, for one, is counting on it.

Read more about Apple's AR moves, here.

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