GREEN EYED WORLD, when a star in the making meets Sprite (of course it's the other way around)

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Heineken Skypecasts Concert

Heineken is known for its innovative approach to marketing and like many brands it's active in the area of music. That activity includes sponsorship of music events and venues and it's always looking for new ways to get in touch with its target audience.

In recent years, it's worked closely with Qi-ideas to develop online innovation to help break through the clutter.
Last September, it took that approach to a new level.

Internet telephony brand Skype introduced Skypecasting in August 2006, a new feature that allows up to 100 consumers to be in direct contact at any one time. Heineken on Sept. 8 became the first to host a live concert broadcast via Skype throughout the world. Dutch band Johan broadcast an exclusive acoustic gig to an audience who had won their right to participate via a contest on Heineken's website.

The great advantage of the Skypecast is that unlike a webcast, it's possible to have a two-way interaction with listeners asking questions and applauding.
While the gig only lasted a short while, the activity also created video content for the brand that could be viewed online for months after the actual event.

Heineken generated a host of free public relations placements from the global media first as well as garnering early learning about a new medium that could become an important channel in the future.

Mini Builds Expansive Campaign Around Quirky Webisodes

Taking a lesson from parent BMW, Mini USA is introducing a series of online short films that track the adventures of a character named Hammer and his sidekick Coop, a Brit-speaking Mini.

The "Hammer & Coop" project, directed by Todd Phillips ("Old School" and "Starsky & Hutch"), is also spun out across various nontraditional media: 15-second video-on-demand spots for mobile handsets, "Find Coop" contests in Second Life, a "Hammer & Coop" MySpace page, iPod video downloads and a red-carpet movie-premier-type event in Manhattan's Union Square.

Hanging from billboards
There's also a quirky outdoor campaign in three major markets: a mannequin of Hammer "parachuting" in and hanging from billboards and a life-size, fiberglass version of Mini. More traditional billboards in 80 markets will show the two characters under headlines such as "Kick Some Asphalt."
(...)
Trudy Hardy, marketing manager of the Mini, said the "Hammer & Coop" campaign for the redone 2007 Mini is aimed at men 25 to 54 years old. "But this will have a very broad appeal."

Innovative mag effort
In addition to the outdoor and online components, there's also a heavy old-media presence, albeit with a new twist: The car that was once a Playboy centerfold took its case to publishers in seeking their help in developing "Hammer & Coop" tie-ins that fit their books, Ms. Hardy said. Rolling Stone and Premier have created "fake" front covers on their back covers that promote a fictitious "Hammer & Coop" movie. The 10 or so pages in the back of the magazines will integrate each title's normal features, written and designed by their staff, but with editorial about "Hammer & Coop." In certain areas, Premier will put the "back" cover facing buyers in magazine stands.

Men's Health will integrate "Hammer & Coop" exercises on its monthly workout poster. The March issues of Maxim, Stuff and Blender will contain an eight-page fashion spread of Hammer and Coop shot by Maxim's fashion director, Stan Williams.

Ms. Hardy said the six online episodes will eventually be available on DVD, along with a mock music video of Asia's 1980s hit "Heat of the Moment," which is featured in the final webisode.

A teaser movie trailer, which appeared to be promoting the "Hammer & Coop" action flick, broke in 1,000 theaters earlier this month and encouraged viewers to visit hammerandcoop.com, where the same trailer was shown (Mini wasn't named in the trailer).
(...)

Source: AdAge.com

Toyota Harnesses Mobile Video For FJ Cruiser

TO PUSH ITS NEW OFF-ROAD FJ Cruiser, Toyota has enlisted the help of Saatchi & Saatchi LA and mobile services firm The Hyperfactory for a cross-channel marketing blitz.

The campaign blends text, banner, mobile TV and video advertising, while making use of Hyperfactory's recently launched Mobile Media Network--an integrated 3G branded mobile platform.

Users will be driven to branded video--documenting the FJ Cruiser racing team competing in the Baja 1000--with banner ad takeovers of the Sprint Wireless Web Sports home page and ESPN Mobile immediately following Super Bowl Sunday, as well as an exclusive two-month takeover of Go2's sports mobile channel, Go2WinterSports.

The campaign will also use MobiTV's new offering--which launched last month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas--allowing viewers to click on branded "Two Roads to Baja" clips. The mobile media program will use MobiTV to display branded content as advertising, including videos, screen savers, driver-blogs, stories and images from the race.

Short-form video clips and clickable mobile TV ad-units will run throughout MobiTV, while another exclusive takeover on Versaly's video-on-demand channel, Fast Lane, will attempt to drive users to the Toyota FJ Cruiser mobile microsite. (The Fast Lane channel is available for free on Channel 61 to all Sprint Power Vision Subscribers.)

The campaign marks Toyota's early efforts to "market to our customers using the power of mobile communications," according to Kim McCullough, corporate manager, marketing for Toyota FJ.

Saatchi and Saatchi also created a YouTube page for the campaign. As of Friday, a short "Two Roads to Baja" video illustrating the FJ Cruiser in off-road action had been viewed over 600,000 times since being posted on Jan. 23.

Said John Lisko, communications director of Saatchi & Saatchi, of his relationship with Hyperfactory: "We worked closely together to ensure there were hours of extra snack-sized footage and material from the program to leverage across the mobile arena."

Others clients who have tapped The Hyperfactory for mobile marketing include Coke, Motorola, and Vodafone.

The Hyperfactory in partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi LA created a fully integrated, branded mobile campaign for the Toyota FJ Cruiser and the mobile launch of its "Two Roads to Baja" branded entertainment show.

Backed by cross-carrier mobile media support, the program encourages users to click through and engage with branded content. Like the TV show, the mobile program attempts to connect with viewers.

Source: MediaPost Publications

'American Idol' : A Marketing Mammoth Expands Further: FremantleMedia's Rock 'n' Roll Money Machine

In its six years as one the smash TV entertainment hits of all time, "American Idol" has also become "the biggest integrated advertising platform on the planet," according to Ad Age media reporter Claire Atkinson.
In this interview Ms. Atkinson provides insights and an overview of the business side of the incredible "Idol" franchise, including the new AmericanIdol.com website, which has replaced the old Fox version.
The new website, operated by FremantleMedia rather than Fox, is the latest stage in an aggresive expansion of "American Idol" into a year-round franchise that, among other things, offers a parallel online streaming channel for all the show's video programming.

8mn d'interview ICI

le Site www.americanidol.com