Uniqlo to Stage Giveaway With a Human Vending Machine

Thanks - PSFK by Dave Pinter

If you were beginning to think that Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo was settling in to business as usual with their US retail presence, November 18 might prove that wrong. Remember back two years ago back two years ago when prior to opening the flagship store in Soho, the company setup a number of shipping containers transformed into popup shops around NYC.

Next month’s event in Times Square will promote the Heat Tech innerwear line. Uniqlo is giving away free Heat Tech items that will be distributed by a ‘Giant Human Vending Machine’ Yes, you read that correctly. Amy Odell of NYMag spoke to a representative at Uniqlo who described what is going to take place.

Basically we’re going to have two mimes. A male and a female mime inside the machine. And the public can see them through glass. When you get there, we’re going to have Uniqlo reps dressed in the silver bodysuits. And they’re going to hold a thermograph scanner — think of an airport security machine. The thermographer identifies cold spots in your body. After you go through that, you go to the vending machine and push a button and the mimes are going to do a synchronized choreographed routine and then your outfit comes out.

[ via NYMag ]

Plans to go

Make plans on the go with Phonevite

Since the debut of its Express service in June, Phonevite has been gaining steam. The free service allows you to send announcements and reminders to a group of people at once from your phone or PC. All that is required is a working phone number. While group messaging isn’t a new idea, Phonevite makes it simple than anything we’ve seen—you don’t even need to register.

Considering that the young and mobile set make plans these days via text (email is so 1999), this is a great idea. Just look at the tweet-up phenomenon. Need to tell friends you snagged a reservation at Momofuku Ko? Can we come? How about remind your coworkers it is 5pm and time to leave the office? Hiring? Seriously, though, people are using it in a variety of ways. Clubs are using it to organize get-togethers and parties, while some school systems use it to notify parents when their children have ditched class, said Techcrunch.

The system actually works very much like eVite, but on mobile. Recipients of your message can RSVP yes, no or maybe by punching in 1, 2 or 3 in their phones. They can even record a response - all of which you can track on the Phonevite website. You can message 25 people for free, or up to 2000 people for $0.05 per call.

We would love to see this service team up with sites such Meetup or Going, or even become a Corporate solution.

Thanks to NGT for this post. Full article found at:
http://www.nextgreatthing.com/wordpress/2008/10/08/make-plans-on-the-go-with-phonevite/

More alternative reality gaming for the Dark night lauch - this time from Brazil

Thanks PSFK for this run down

After the two Alternate Reality Games held in May, Warner has launched different initiatives to promote “Batman: The Dark Knight” in Brazil.

The first is the promotion of the local version of the “Why so serious?” website, which allows users to have their photos scribbled on by the Joker, and the blog Eu Acredito em Harvey Dent (which translates to “I Believe in Harvey Dent”), a place where internet users can find information about Harvey Dent, the candidate for District Attorney in the movie. At the blog, users can also find all the campaign material used in the film. The Youtube channel “haahhahaa” brings trailers of famous Warner movies - edited and ridiculed by the Joker, to show his displeasure with the company. A phone number appears during these trailers. Those who call the number hear a message from the Joker himself.

Finally, Warner’s latest initiative is being held in partnership with mobile phone operator Claro and Nokia. Participants search for hidden letters with the help of tips revealed in the website www.cartasescondidas.com.br (hiddenletters.com.br). Each letter is worth points and the five people with most points win a Nokia N95 phone, loaded with content from the film. Another 495 people will win tickets to see the movie.

[via Direto do Forno]

Oh and for the record - I LOVE THIS FILM

Just to give you an idea of the lenghts Warner have gone to to build an alternative reality around this movie, check out the ARG wiki - seriously a lot of activity: http://batman.wikibruce.com/Home

Introducing Knol

Wikipedia, Meet Knol
By MIGUEL HELFT
Seven months after Google began testing a service called Knol, a Wikipedia competitor, the company on Wednesday finally rolled it out.

The search expert Danny Sullivan aptly describes Knol as “Like Wikipedia, With Moderation.” Articles on various topics are penned by individuals, and in many cases, experts — not collectively by the anonymous masses. Knol authors can choose to benefit from the “wisdom of the crowds” by letting others edit or supplement their articles. But those changes make it into Knol entries only with the author’s permission.

Knol, which, by the way, is short for knowledge, is making some people uneasy because it further transforms Google from a search engine that helps people find content into a site that helps people create and publish content.

Even though it will make money on many Knol pages with its AdSense program, Google promises that the objectivity of its search engine will not be compromised.

“We will treat Knol pages as we treat other Web pages,” said Cedric Dupont, a Google product manager. “If there is a Knol that is the first place in search results, it deserves that place.”

Of course, on many searches, it is Wikipedia’s ad-free pages that show up at the top of search results.

Mr. Dupont dismissed speculation that Knol was designed as a Wikipedia killer: “Google is very happy with Wikipedia being so successful. Anyone who tries to kill them would hurt us.”

There is a striking similarity between one aspect of the two sites. The text of Knol articles uses the same font as Wikipedia. Mr. Dupont said that is simply coincidence, as it is a commonly used font.

For now, Knol has only a few hundred articles, compared to the nearly 2.5 million in Wikipedia’s English language version. And for now, the best place to follow the debate on whether or not Knol is a Wikipedia killer is on the Knol entry on, where else, Wikipedia.

 Thanks to the New York Times for this post also found at:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/wikipedia-meet-knol/index.html?ref=technology

BMW hourglass

What’s an hourglass? Oh yes, it’s an ancient time piece, flowing fine sand quietly marking time in a perfectly balanced glass. Or, as everyone should know by now, it is the main prop at Never Stand Still. 

It was the kick-off party to start the countdown for BMW’s European launch of the latest model of BMW 7 series, slated to take place this fall. The car, displayed in the world’s largest hourglass in the Red Square, has not received much coverage but as soon as the construction of the hourglass marvel began four months ago, online buzz about it has been consistent. The 12-meter-high glass contraption was the centerpiece of the party thrown to 400 invited guests and celebrities. At the start of the build-up, more than 180,000 silvery balls concealed the car that was gradually revealed as the balls fell to the lower level. 

Moscow is a strong and growing market for BMW, and what better place to strut its latest but the historic location against the backdrop of the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral and G.U.M. – all veterans of many a communist-era motorized military parade. By Tuija Seipell from TheCoolHunter: http://www.thecoolhunter.com.au/events

Never Stand Still.

What is the distinguishing factor of successful people? They always perceive achievements as the starting point for new levels of performance.

BMW took this approach as the central theme for a vehicle presentation of the most unusual kind.

BMW has created the world's largest hourglass at the Red Square in Moscow to showcase its new flagship: the BMW 7 Series. 

Crackle.com

I love this idea! How cool would it be to launch Renault's new SUV in Australia by spelling out Koleos - imagine the terrain the vehicle would have to cross, great for product demonstration and PR... if only we came up with it first. 

Thanks to Media Post Publication for this article found at: http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=85700&Nid=44429&p=948634

Crackle.com Hopes For Another Hit
by Tanya Irwin, Monday, Jun 30, 2008 7:00 AM ET

Most of us might not be able to afford the gas to drive around aimlessly this summer, but we can point our browser to Crackle.com and watch comedian Marc Horowitz do it instead.

"The Marc Horowitz Signature Series" chronicles prankster Horowitz as he drives the shape of his signature on a map of the U.S., stopping in 20 towns along the way to stage one-off "community building" (read totally off-the-wall) experiments. In one town he goes door-to-door to personally serve residents a fancy breakfast in bed, and in another, invites residents to gather for a ceremony to "bury their problems"--photos of ex-girlfriends and video game consoles welcome.

The exclusive biweekly series will air new episodes on Tuesdays and Fridays on Sausalito, Calif.-based Crackle, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. "Marc's latest journey is unpredictable, smart and hilarious--exactly the kind of entertaining original content Crackle's unique audience appreciates and has come to expect," said Crackle GM Jonathan Shambroom in a statement.

"Signature Series" joins Crackle's instant hit "The Jace Hall Show," a comedy and lifestyle interview show hosted by video game personality Jace Hall. In the first 48 hours after the launch on June 5, more than half a million viewers tuned in to Crackle to watch the first show. Since the show's launch success, the first two episodes and their outtakes have gone on to attract over one million viewers.

The show is a 13-part original series with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the hottest game developers, and features rare interviews in which actors, musicians and athletes discuss their lives in the context of the entertainment convergence world.

Part of the viewing frenzy at launch time was fueled by rumors and speculation around Hall's "special glimpse" of the long-awaited "Duke Nukem Forever" video game, which he delivered in episode one. Episode two featured singer/actress Christina Milian as she challenged Jace's gaming skills.

Sony relaunched Grouper as Crackle last summer and turned the video-sharing Web site into a streaming entertainment network geared toward discovering new online talent. The site has some of the highest click-through rates on the Web. Crackle delivers programmed and customized video streams to a global audience via a multi-platform syndication network that includes Sony devices, IPTV, leading social networks and one-click viral Web distribution.

Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions

Every Australian living within the healthy weight range by 2010? Japan is certainly taking their health seriously... check this out thanks to The New York Times:

By NORIMITSU ONISHIPublished: June 13, 2008

AMAGASAKI, Japan — Japan, a country not known for its overweight people, has undertaken one of the most ambitious campaigns ever by a nation to slim down its citizenry.
Summoned by the city of Amagasaki one recent morning, Minoru Nogiri, 45, a flower shop owner, found himself lining up to have his waistline measured. With no visible paunch, he seemed to run little risk of being classified as overweight, or metabo, the preferred word in Japan these days.

But because the new state-prescribed limit for male waistlines is a strict 33.5 inches, he had anxiously measured himself at home a couple of days earlier. “I’m on the border,” he said.

Under a national law that came into effect two months ago, companies and local governments must now measure the waistlines of Japanese people between the ages of 40 and 74 as part of their annual checkups. That represents more than 56 million waistlines, or about 44 percent of the entire population.

Those exceeding government limits — 33.5 inches for men and 35.4 inches for women, which are identical to thresholds established in 2005 for Japan by the International Diabetes Federation as an easy guideline for identifying health risks — and having a weight-related ailment will be given dieting guidance if after three months they do not lose weight. If necessary, those people will be steered toward further re-education after six more months.

To reach its goals of shrinking the overweight population by 10 percent over the next four years and 25 percent over the next seven years, the government will impose financial penalties on companies and local governments that fail to meet specific targets. The country’s Ministry of Health argues that the campaign will keep the spread of diseases like diabetes and strokes in check.

For the full article visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html?ex=1214280000&en=d468ccbc1f23d207&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Doritos New Game

This post is thanks to Mathieson Typepad

DORITOS LAUNCHES ONLINE 'QUEST' CONTEST WITH MOUNTAIN DEW-FLAVORED TORTILLA CHIPS

On the heels of last year's X-13D name-the-flavor contest, Doritos is hoping you'll munch your way to their new online experience and down a bunch of Mountain Dew-flavored tortilla chips.

Actually, the taste is more limony- 7-UP with salt. But once you find out it's really Mountain Dew, you get it - not that you'll particularly want to. We are, after all, talking about lemon-Lime potato chips without the benefit of a caffeine kick.

But finding out that's Mountain Dew is the actual flavor takes a little work (or would of, if I didn't just tell you). The bags just say "The Quest: Guessing the flavor is just the beginning."

A URL on the package points you to Doritos' branded entertainment unit SnackStrong Productions, but really takes you to Doritos.com, which would be so much easier to enter.

And even then it would be a bad idea, because it's very hard to actually find a link to the Quest experience (it's really at doritosthequest.com, and the packaging should say that) - where you find out you can win up to $100,000 for proceeding in an online adventure where...oh it doesn't really matter. It seemed too involved.

The whole thing seems similar to the far more interesting "Indy Quest" Indiana Jones online adventure game.

Still - an interesting approach to engaging tweens and teens who make up the natural target for both Dew and Doritos (and there's 80's-style synergy here: Both Dew and Doritos are owned by Pepsi).

Kids, no doubt will dig in and see what it's all about.

That is, if they can find it.

http://mathieson.typepad.com/genwow/2008/06/doritos-launche.html

Emirates Announces Non-Stop Brazil

What better way than to dramatise your new non-stop flight service than to get someone to talk about Brazil non-stop.

http://www.nonstopfernando.com