In this column, I’ve talked up technology, lauded creative and mused on design.
As a mobile marketer and advertiser, there is no “one size fits all” solution for successful campaigns. As the space evolves, every new tool must be evaluated, experimented with and eventually perfected or discarded. Thinking singularly, however, is going to get you in trouble. What we should be doing is looking at campaigns from an ideology rather than device perspective.
With new mediums (and I would argue that mobile is no longer in its infancy), it’s easy to look at strategy from a perspective of individual opportunity, find the scale, and then play the numbers game. At this point, I think we’ve learned that a well-rounded advertising or marketing campaign (not just mobile) fits all the pieces into the puzzle and utilises each for the bigger picture. Mobile is no exception. Yet with the proliferation of smartphones, advertisers have a new opportunity to converse with, rather than at, the consumer.
With that said, crafting strategies that are consumer experience-led tend to be mobile-led as well. It’s the nature of the beast and contrary to popular belief, mobile is more than banners, rich media, and video. Aspirational brands tend to understand this, and are hatching intuitive, inspirational campaigns with mobile as the connecting dot to the consumer. There are still traditional brands who get it and they’re putting their own spin on creatively engaging the end user.
Here are three brilliant creative strategies:
Nike's #MIPISTA campaign
The #mipista campaign, launched by Nike Football Spain, enables street football players to request a pop-up pitch with their smartphones in six different neighbourhoods across the Spanish capital. After the order has been made, a team of specialists drives to the location with a laser system and a crane. The laser beams create an augmented football pitch where users can play a five-against-five match.
The Adidas window shopping experience
Putting the “shopping” in window shopping, adidas created a custom experience that allowed users to interact with store windows through touch screen technology and their mobile. In an attempt to speed up the interactive process, adidas bypassed QR codes and app downloads and began the mobile led experience with custom HTML5 technology. Through a by-directional connection via a simple URL, users paired their mobiles with a one-time PIN. From that on, the user could simply drag products into a shopping bag on the window, to see them instantly appear on their device. The mobile site was plugged straight into the adidas eCommerce system, essentially operating as a mini eCom in itself. If shoppers shared their list of products it was a responsive design, looking great on a laptop or tablet too. If friends changed sizes, colors etc., they could re-share their own unique list.
National Geographic’s Tablet + TV campaign
The National Geographic Channel leveraged tablets to drive TV viewership for a new documentary about President Lincoln. The campaign targeted home Wi-Fi networks with the goal to reach consumers who are at home and to entice them to watch the program. The full-page ads started a few hours leading up to the premiere and continued during the two hours it airs. The best part? At pivotal moments in the programme, the creative dynamically updated based on what was happening on-air to encourage tune-in to the next scene. Video and description copy teased current and upcoming scenes, drawing the consumers into the experience rather than just talking at them.
