Russian drivers given unexpected test drive

In Moscow illegal parking is a problem, one that leads to many drivers having their car towed to a location an hour away from the city centre.

In a new campaign, Mercedes has started to offer test drives of their Smart car to these drivers to try and encourage them to switch from the larger vehicles they are used to a smaller car which should be easier to park.

The campaigns came about as Mercedes realised that there was no interest in their city friendly cars, so along with BBDO Moscow they helped 'save' 623 stranded drivers, using a fleet of 40 Smart cars around 8 shopping malls. As a result they found test drives increased 10 fold and purchases by 300% in the two weeks following the event.

Watch a video of the event below.

Target builds giant dolls house in station

In an experiential stunt of the grandest of scales, American retailer Target built a life-size dolls house in the middle of Grand Central Station in New York.

The installation, which was created by Deutsch Los Angeles, is a showcase of their Threshold home décor line and features between 3,500 and 4,000 products, with staff on hand for demonstrations and help.

The dolls house was built in just 54 hours by fitting together interlocking 4-by-8 panels creating a 1600-square-foot open-plan house, as well as a patio and lawn area.  This space allows Target to show-off their latest lines in their entirety, which would not be possible to do in stores, and will give some great exposure with over 500,000 people visiting the station every day.

You can find out more about the installation at Ad Age here.

Interactive sculpture in motion

A new collaboration between Hyundai's Advanced Design Centre and Berlin-based WHITEvoid, an interactive art and design studio, has created Fluidic.

The project sees 12,000 suspended spheres acting as 3D pixels or voxels which are illuminated by an array of high-speed lasers. The magic happens thanks to 3D cameras that detect a person and react creating patterns and shapes based upon their movements.

The piece was part of Hyundai's involvement with Milan Design week, the third time it has participated in the show, and was housed at the Temporary Museum for New Design. The interactive sculpture was inspired by nature and its ability to continuously adapt to a changing context, which Hyundai think of as part of their general design philosophy.

On April 8, the day of the preview, the German choreographer Nikeata Thompson directed a special performance featuring art, music and dance in the presence of the press and opinion leaders. In the days dedicated to the public Jan Jelinek of SCAPE, a seminal figure in contemporary electronic music, gave a special performance describing the rhythmic confluence between design and sound titled "Fluidic Art meet Fluidic Sound ".

Whilst many would have missed the chance to experience this for themselves, as it was only open to the public on the last weekend of Milan Design Week, 13th -14th April, there are plans to take it on the road, updates to be posted on the Fluidic page.

Watch a video of the sculpture in action below and visit the Fluidic page for more information and images.

FLUIDIC - Sculpture in Motion from WHITEvoid on Vimeo.

Seat's money saving brakes

Car manufacturers sometimes have a hard time relating the latest money-saving technology in their cars to their customers every day lives. Seat Germany may have managed it with the help of Grey Worldwide Dusseldorf.

To demonstrate how their new "Brake Energy Recovery System" which saves the energy normally lost during braking and reuses it when the accelerating, they fitted out one of their Seat Alhambra's as a taxi, added some cameras and a special glitch with the meter.

A clever marketing ploy to show consumers how they can save money, the video is definitely one to watch.

See it below.

Payphones become time machines in Manhatten

In New York City a project by Droga5 in collaboration with the New Museum has allowed inhabitants to listen to the sounds and memories of 1993. 

Part of an exhibition which highlights 1993 as a year of change for the city and the world titled "NYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star," the payphone experience gets users to call a special number from selected phones across the city, which in turn allows them to relive that location in 1993.

The phone project titled Recalling 1993 is a huge undertaking, using tour guides and locals to re-tell stories, and is the first use of the payphones whose future is facing some speculation since the age of the smart phone.

An interactive map of the payphones included can be found here. Below is a video outlining the project.

Recalling 1993 from Droga5 NY on Vimeo.

Heinz creating a noise with Beanz

We're sure that most of you will be familiar with the childhood rhyme that gives the adage of beans being a musical fruit, now Heinz are playing on that with some deluxe flavours.

The 5 special flavours, will be available from London's Fortnum & Mason in a special pack which includes a themed bowl and a special spoon that will play music or sounds whilst you eat.

The spoons contain a special MP3 player with pre-recorded sounds that can only be heard whilst eating through vibrations that travel up the jaw-bone to the ear.

Each flavour has a distinct sound associated with it, be it an Elgar ditty played with a cheese wire or the sound of rustling garlic skins. 

The special edition bowls are also tailored to the unique flavours which includes, cheese, curry, barbecue, garlic and herb, and chili. 

Interactive art that mimics

Daniel Rozin's Mirrors seem to be pretty normal sculptures until you take a step closer, then they shift to mimic you. 

Currently exhibiting at Bitforms in New York until the 6th April, his 'mirror' pieces shift the patterns formed on them to mimic the viewers shape in real-time. This is done via cameras that detect shapes and cause the LEDs to change the pattern on the screen. Whilst not recreating a persons image perfectly, the screen will copy movements made until the person steps out of range.

The exhibition, called Angles, features some of the artists other kinetic work, which also interact with their surroundings and work on a principle of merging the geometric with the participatory.

Clouds inside create silver-lining for artist

Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde controls the weather and creates beautiful indoor clouds with the help of a smoke machine and dramatic lighting.

The fog machine emits dense vapour / smoke that makes contact with sprayed water and forms a small white cloud.

Smilde, who lives in Amsterdam, said he wanted to make the image of a typical Dutch rain cloud but inside. ‘I imagined walking into a classical museum hall with just empty walls,’ he said. 'There was nothing to see except for a rain cloud hanging around in the room. I wanted to make a very clear image, an almost cliché and cartoon-like visualization of having bad luck. Indeed there's nothing here and bxxxxcks, it's starting to rain!"  

The few people who have seen the clouds in person should consider themselves very lucky; each cloud only exists for a moment before dissipating.  

To document the clouds Smilde photographs them; the only proof of their existence if a viewer misses them.  

The first exhibit, called Nimbus, was created by Smilde in 2010.  

Watch videos of the creation of the clouds below.

Bus stop with a window seat

We've all been stood waiting for a train or a bus wishing we could be somewhere else; perhaps a beach in Spain, visiting the vineyards of France or even taking a gondola ride in Venice. Scandinavian Airlines has played on this idea and created an amazing experiential bus stop ad.

The campaign was designed to promote the 16 new destinations that the airline has started to fly to.

A bus stop in Oslo was fitted with a digital screen and a mock airplane window. When the shutter on the window was closed and re-opened a new scene was displayed, with the view being of one of the 16 new destinations.

A clever way to advertise and encourage people to book that next holiday. Watch a video highlighting the campaign below.

A 'lickable' bit of advertising

Fanta has produced the world's first tastable advert. The concept developed for the drinks market in the United Arab Emirates, features a printed ad promoting their new recipe for Orange Fanta, which people could pop into their mouth and experience firsthand.

The campaign featured a full page ad, which is kept in a plastic sleeve within a publication, and encouraged the consumer to tear off a piece to try the flavour and share the experience with their friends as 100% of the ad is coated in the flavouring.

A clever concept to but we expect many would be reluctant to start eating paper supplied in a magazine?

Watch the campaign video below and let us know if you would be willing to taste a printed ad.

Five great creative promotional items

Buzzfeed has produced an amazing collection of creative promotional items from the past 5 years.

The list includes;
Dumbbell Frisbees by Iams in Australia (2009), a comical and clever way to spread the message "Iams makes your dog strong"

A giant marijuana cigarette to promote the TV series "Weeds" in Sweden (2008). Inside the 'spliff' was a bouquet of hemp plants and a message about the show.

A rubber eraser USB by Alzheimer's New Zealand (2010), building on the association of memory loss with Alzheimer's, the functional eraser was hollowed out for a USB stick and distributed to politicians and organisations to raise awareness.

A special sofa by Nivea in USA (2008), promoting a new product during Miami fashion week. Several of these were installed in various locations 

A car with googly eyes by the Federal Ministry of Transport in Germany (2009). A clever campaign to raise awareness of drink-driving, these blood-shot googly eye beetles were driven around alcohol fueled public events.

They are all great examples of creative marketing at its best, taking the basic message of each product and developing a memorable way to promote it.

Budweiser alerts hockey fans

Budweiser Canada is helping ice hockey fans keep track of when their team scores by selling goal lights similar to those used at the games.

It is set up to their favourite team using an app on a smartphone, after that it will connect to their WiFi network and follow live scores. When a selected team scores it lights up and makes a sound, regardless of where the team is playing or if the game is televised.

The first batch made has sold out, but the website is taking pre-orders for the next batch which should be with fans in time for the play-offs. The lights will set back fans $149 + taxes & shipping, but those living in the greater Toronto area will be able to get theirs installed by Budweiser.

As part of this campaign they have created an advert that introduces a new character, who is portrayed as the inventor of the light and builds upon their 'Great times are waiting' campaign.

A great marketing ploy by the American beer brand, although we think it may disturb a few mealtimes. Watch the video below.

Walk into this painting

We love interactive art, and this amazing piece called "Indian Chamber" fits the bill perfectly.

Created by Australian artist Anna Kristensen, the piece is a 360 degree panoramic painting of the Jenolan Caves' Indian Chamber, in New South Wales.

Painted onto curved plywood panels, viewers enter via a door into a cylindrical room and are then surrounded by the painting.

This incredible piece has been on tour across Australia, visiting Gallery 9 in Sydney, Shepparton Art Museum in Victoria, Artspace in Sydney and Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.

Top 10 public spaces

Boca Do Lobo has  featured on their blog  the Top 10 public spaces, architecturally speaking.

The feature has some amazing examples of innovative design and amazing engineering from all over the globe, including the Floating Movie Theater, Thailand, El Bosque de la Esperanza, Colombia and possibly our favourite the170 foot Trampoline in Russia.

The list is a great representation of architecture from 2012 that is accessible to all, and helps to make the world a better and more fun place to live. Enjoy!

See the full list and read more about them here.