Here’s a scoop: advertisers want to have the most appealing ads made for them. They want to utilize the most cutting edge technology with the coolest creative so that viewers will have hard time looking away.


Problem #1: Advertisers don’t always know what the cutting technology ‘is’ and how it can be used to produce an ad like they have never seen before. Take for example a site collapse ad that, when triggered, lifts the curtain on part of the site’s page to reveal the ad beneath it.





As the site page is updated every few minutes, you need to know that it is possible to take a snapshot of the site and then use it in the ad to even come up with this idea. You may need to see it used first to understand what is possible.


So, let’s assume the advertiser has a subscription to Techcrunch (even better – the advertiser is the editor of Techcrunch), so he knows all there is to know about technology. He still needs the cool creative part. Here comes Problem #2: Creative shops tend to work under very strict timelines. They may not have time to explore new technologies, dig through APIs or think how best they can utilize it in an ad. Often times, it is a lot easier for them to go with what they know. Another brilliant idea bites the dust.


For the sake of argument, let’s now assume that Techcrunch’s editor owns a creative shop (bear with me here), so time is not an issue, and ads like no one has seen before are produced. Those ads should now be served. Can you hear Problem #3 coming? These ads need to be compatible with the ad server’s technology so that they run smoothly, and report everything they need to report.


With today’s Release of MediaMind Blocks, we tried to take a crack at the 3 problems listed above.

MediaMind Blocks are downloadable working code examples in Flash (FLA files). They are compatible with the MediaMind platform and MediaMind’s Workshop for Flash, and can run as is. Of course, they can also be customized within the flash authoring tool or otherwise to suit any specific ad. Each block includes complete documentation.
Blocks can be divided into several categories:
• Feature blocks: i.e., print coupon
• Format blocks: i.e., Sidekick
• Social: Facebook post to wall and Twitter Connect – retweet
• Video: Video Extender, Slow motion, Video Background
• Site snap: Screen Grab, Page Collapse
• And my personal favorite category – super cool features that do not belong to a specific category: Augmented Reality, Face Detection, Advanced Feedback, Papervision3D Cube, Background Dimmer, and many more.

Blocks are showcased together in the in the Creative Zone by MediaMind , which currently contains 29 blocks. Each Block has a demo to give an idea of the functionality it offers. Advertisers and creative designers can browse through the blocks and be inspired by what is possible (solution to problem #1). Blocks are also displayed within the Workshop plug-in for flash, so that creative designers don’t need to leave their comfort zone to get updated.

The cool thing is that whatever appears in the Blocks marketplace can be easily implemented. Creative designers know that if the idea came from the Blocks zone, the technical exploration was already done for them. This means that it should be relatively simple to customize the ad to the specific campaign’s need. Creative designers can now focus on creative ideas and not fuss over the technology (solution to problem #2).

Finally – and this is another time saver – as the code was tested by MediaMind, creative designers know it will run smoothly when served by MediaMind, and there’s no need for post-production fixes. Again, creatives can focus on what they do best – be creative (solution to problem #3).
To keep up with the ever dynamic creative scene, we are going to be releasing new Blocks regularly.

So, Michael Arrington, you should definitely check out the new Blocks next time you run a campaign with your personally owned creative shop. And if there’s a Block you are missing there, just give me a call (or send an email to BlocksFeedback@MediaMind.com ).

Meet Imran Behlim, Senior Interactive Producer at BBH, who shares insights into his 2 favorite campaigns: the Despicable Me YouTube Takeover and the Axe Angels Google Map Ad.


What is your favorite brand experience?
For 2010, I have to go with the Despicable Me page takeover. It shows that when you have great elements – like the cute and mischievous minions – and access to the best assets – cgi direct from movie renders – you can create very memorable and effective campaigns. Second was the Axe Angels Google Map Ad.


What was the brief for the Axe Angels campaign?
The brief was to illustrate the above-the-line idea that if you use Axe Excite, ‘Even Angels Will Fall’. The user is prompted to put in their location/postcode and upon pressing ‘spray’ to use Lynx Excite, an angel drops to the user’s location. MediaMind helped us go even further by helping to realize a non-interactive state that used a bespoke MediaMind component – this allowed the banner to ‘locate’ the user by using their IP address and sending an Angel to them automatically.

How was this particular format chosen?
We used the MPU format as in this case it translated the above the line creative and video assets more effectively. The MPU unit also conveys the ‘premium’ quality of the assets.


How did you come up with the creative idea?
We looked at ways of doing something more dynamic and changeable. The Arcade Fire’s use of Google Maps and Streetview was a key inspiration and helped us see the feasibility. Allowing the user to ‘spray’ and select locations to receive Angels was the next logical step.


What feedback/results have you received?
The campaign has just started to go out but already it is gaining recognition and reputation amongst the online/advertising community. BBH are very proud of the work and are eager to get as many eyes around the world on to it – with a planned 88 countries using the campaign, there will be no getting away from it.


What is your idea about the perfect working day?
The perfect working day has to be getting on the tube just AFTER rush hour and getting into work fresh and relaxed, ready for a day’s work. A coffee from Flat White on Berwick Street. Many agencies are good enough to provide free breakfasts to help you get energised.


Your muse best comes when?
I feel I’m most inspired when I can see a project in its entirety and find creative yet elegant solutions to any potential problems.


How did you start working in digital advertising?
I worked as a designer in the boom days of online and moved into producing. Advertisers were always pushing to explore online and it is still one of the only areas that has a business requirement for the highest level of digital output. They are always at the cutting edge because they are driven by creativity and innovation in an industry where you need to stand out from the crowd.

MediaMind is pleased to share an interview with Matt “Griz” Griswold from Soap Creative in LA as part of our Favorite Brand Experiences series.


Your idea about a perfect working day?
California skies, a good breeze and a sailboat full of Diet Coke. For the other 364 days of the year, I’m more than happy with the chaos and fun of leading an agency doing great work for happy and stimulating clients.


Your muse best comes when:
My muse is a quiet night (around 3am) engaged in a heated multiplayer deathmatch with co-founder and idea factory Ashley Ringrose — the muse is stronger if I’m winning, of course. Some great ideas have come about while awaiting a respawn.


What was the brief for the Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions campaign?
Like all the best briefs: “Do something awesome and make us look good.” That’s not too hard with an icon like Spider-Man, a trusting client that gets just as excited as we do, and a team of super creative fanboys.





How did you come up with the idea for the campaign?
We broke off into teams of two and hooked into our patent-pending Brain Storm Isolator – it’s usually just a few hours before the ideas flow.





It also helps to have an office full of inspiringly creative gamers and fanboys – so we essentially got to center in on what we found cool and compelling. Ten minutes playing Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions easily beats two hours in the Brain Storm Isolator: the core fun is in the opportunity to take control over four distinct Spider-Man characters across four equally unique worlds, so we rallied behind that and worked closely with the MediaMind team to make it happen.


What feedback/results have you received?
The client is happy, the team behind it is happy, and the media agency is happy. The takeover units proved to be very effective and the game launched to success, thus increasing happiness all around to unprecedented levels of self-congratulatory backslapping. After about twenty minutes we went back to work — optimizing and taking notes for the web-slinger’s next adventure.


How did you start working in digital advertising?
I determined something could be done before getting lost in how it would be, and worked hard to fill in the details along the way until it was right. That was really the start of it, which led to another small opportunity… a fateful series of encounters [insert 80s-style montage sequence] led me into entertainment marketing and eventually to Soap (after working with them for several years as a client, I couldn’t resist). I was “the young, digital guy” who thought most anything was possible — now, at Soap, I’m “the somewhat older guy” (gray hairs be damned!) who thinks pretty much the same.

Matt Griswold Flattened

The latest Augmented Reality for Chocapic ad was chosen as the wow! campaign featured in January’s newsletter: The Feed.  Following is an interview with Thomas Charlet, Artistic Director, Vivaki who dreamt up the campaign.


What was the client brief for the Chocapic Augmented Reality campaign?
The idea was to create a teaser for a Virtual 3D game, realized with Dassault System. Just enough to give the customer a taste of a much more elaborate one.
So keywords were: fun, easy to play, augmented reality.

How was this particular format chosen?

We had already worked with a similar format last year for another successful Chocapic campaign.
We wanted to capitalize on this first experience. We created a new design and a new gameplay in a bigger format, in order to immerse the customer into a fun world.

How did you come up with the creative idea?

The idea came to us naturally.  We wanted to have fun, try out some kind of new interaction with the format…
And I think that is what we’ve done here. Even if the gameplay can be a bit tricky.

What feedback/results have you received?

The CTR was about 1,71% so that was pretty good.
41% played the game and around 25% of those chose to use the webcam.

How did you start working in digital advertising?
I’ve always been interested in all sort of medias… So, as the internet is the only place that combines all of them, it felt to me that it’ll be my playground.

What is your idea about the perfect working day?
Working with clients who trust our work.

Your muse best comes when…
I can relate to the subject. Or while watching the internet’s most famous Mèmes (viral ideas).

Break out your webcam and experience Augmented Reality in full force!

As the editor of the Creative Zone, I see a LOT of ads from all over the world. I usually take notice of the wackier, ground-breaking ones that try something new or that just make me laugh out loud. But when I saw some friends on Facebook from my former hometown – the one and only Motor City (I usually call it Hockeytown but we’ll save that for a different post) – saying how inspired they were by the recent Chrysler 200 ad from the Superbowl I knew I had to take a look. Honestly, when was the last time someone told you they were truly inspired by a car ad??





Wow.


After watching it, I began to ask myself why did the ad make me so proud? How did they do it? How did they get into the mindset of a ‘real’ Detroiter, showcase the good, the bad & the ugly of the city all in 2 minutes, keeping it ‘real’ while selling a luxury car?


I found only one word to sum it up: Brilliance.


I then began to wonder how non-Detroit-natives responded to the ad. Did they ‘get’ it? What do they think of Detroit? Is it on the road to recovery? Can it sell a luxury vehicle? What do you think?