emergedmedia

yep, there’s finally an app for that.  in an effort to increase sales, provide utility and convenience, consumers can now get two great free applications that bring starbucks to their phones.

the mystarbucks app allows you to find the closest starbucks location with the amenities you want, build your own drink, learn about different blends, and pre-order food.

the starbucks card app allows you to check your balance on your card, reload it, and pay for a drink using a QR code.  two great utilities!

ps: here’s the QR code for my blog if you’re interested.

puma has recently released an iphone app that pokes fun at the current economic climate with some subtle product placement.  when the market (DJIA) moves up or down the models on their site change in/out of their puma gear.  the tactic feels a little cheeky, gimmicky, and it’s probably better suited for less prudish brands like american apparel.  the site/app also misses the mark with the inability to click on a product and purchase.  however, it’s an interesting creative concept that formulaically employs sex to sell a product.  it will be interesting to see how well the campaign performs in the united states vs. europe as the spirit of the campaign has a more european flavour.

kudos to amnesty international for employing a new technology to raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence.  this poster portrays an image of a happy couple holding hands side-by-side.  however, when no one is looking at the image, a built in camera senses the lack of movement and the brutalizing ensues. it’s pretty hard hitting out-of-home advertising but it’s smart, drives home the message, and it employs a new medium perfectly.  digital out-of-home is the next big thing!

this is an excellent example of another type of application for augmented reality.  sure the technology is fun to play around with for gaming applications and gimmicky print ads.  however, a practical application like the one featured in this bmw example employs the tool in a smart and very useful way.

wouldn’t it be great if ikea jumped on this?  it sure would make it a whole lot easier to put together their furniture and pre-fabricated kitchens.

augmented reality seems to be gaining a lot of traction these days as it’s beginning to appear in print ads for nike, adidas, and mini cooper.  procter & gamble recently announced the deployment of an augmented reality campaign to promote their always infinity brand.  i am not sure if this is the right marketing tactic to support this brand initiative and most of the augmented reality examples that i’ve seen thus far have been very disposable.  however the topps execution is a great example because it smartly integrates game play.  it’s a pity that i never had an opportunity to apply this tactic towards initiatives for gatorade.  we could have done some really amazing things with this technology to promote the limited edition michael jordan bottles or league of clutch campaign.