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During the launch of its flagship Q8 2024 model last month, Audi Vietnam employed EEG (electroencephalogram) technology to help consumers decide if they truly wanted the car. Designed to gauge emotional resonance, the initiative uses specialized headsets to monitor participants' brain activity during interactions with the car, such as test drives and exploring the interior. The EEG measures responses like excitement, attention and interest, offering insights into whether the car genuinely resonates with the buyers preferences.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Every year, Publicis Groupe Japans Sustainable Development Goals committee holds a public competition to raise awareness about environmental challenges. This years contest, The Trash Bento Challenge, aimed to inspire public action against microplastic contamination.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
What started off as a quirky pharmacy mascot has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, culminating in November 2024s Simifest, a music festival blurring the lines between brand marketing and grassroots fandom. Dr. Simi, the cheerful, mustachioed mascot of Mexicos Farmacias Similares, is a familiar figure seen dancing outside pharmacy doors to promote the chains low-cost generic medications. (Farmacias Similares operates over 9,500 stores in Mexico and other Latin American countries.) In recent years, fans transformed him into an unlikely icon of concert culture, tossing plush Dr. Simi dolls at music stars like Lady Gaga and Rosalía as gestures of admiration. It turned the pharmacy mascot into a viral sensation.Rather than dismissing the fan-led movement, Farmacias Similares leaned into it, creating a festival celebrating Dr. Simis role in pop culture. In addition to acts like Anderson. Paak, Jungle, Ely Guerra and Technicolor Fabrics, the Mexico City event offered more than just a nod to the pharmacy chain; it featured cosplay contests, fan art and plenty of opportunities to interact with Dr. Simi. Its a lesson in harnessing the energy of customers who co-opt and reinterpret brand symbols to express broader values. With consumers increasingly skeptical of traditional marketing, Simifest shows how to foster spaces where audiences feel seen, heard and free to play.Some of todays most resonant brand narratives arent top-down campaigns but emergent, co-created stories that thrive on social medias participatory dynamics. Dr. Simis evolution from pharmacy mascot to cultural icon reflects a deeper societal shift: people crave experiences that blend humor, authenticity and community. By embracing this shift, Farmacias Similares transformed a corporate mascot into a symbol of fun, connection and national pride. Other brands: time to release control and let consumers lead the way?!
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
In a twist on traditional Secret Santa exchanges, La Poste is transforming mail carriers into modern-day Christmas elves across two French villages. In Berrwiller, Alsace, and Roussillon, Provence, postal workers Simohamed and Josiane are adding an unexpected dimension to their daily routes this holiday season not just delivering mail, but orchestrating a community-wide gift exchange. Residents place modest presents in their mailboxes, which the carriers collect and redistribute randomly to other households participating in the Noel Surprise, creating serendipitous connections throughout the villages.This initiative taps into something deeper than seasonal gift-giving its about rekindling spontaneous human connections that are becoming increasingly rare. The element of surprise, with villagers not knowing which neighbor will receive their gift, adds a layer of excitement and anticipation. When Berrwiller tested the concept last year, two-thirds of residents participated, suggesting a strong appetite for fostering local bonds. The project demonstrates how institutions like La Poste can evolve beyond their core services to nurture the social fabric that keeps small communities vibrant.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Samsung is expanding access to premier contemporary art through a new partnership with Art Basel. The collaboration, launched as the art crowd flocked to Miami Beach for the annual fair, brings curated work from Art Basel's renowned exhibiting galleries directly to subscribers of the Samsung Art Store. The art can be displayed exclusively on The Frame Samsung's 'lifestyle TV' that doubles as a digital canvas. The first collection launched with over 15 works, giving The Frame owners unprecedented access to pieces displayed at the December 2024 fair.The partnership creates compelling value for both parties. For Samsung, it bolsters The Frame's position as a premium lifestyle product, offering customers exclusive access to contemporary artwork from leading galleries. For participating artists and galleries, the collaboration allows their art to reach a much wider audience than it otherwise would. Sure, Instagram has democratized art sharing beyond gallery walls, but The Frame's large-format display which is matte and Pantone-validated provides a more immersive way to experience art than any phone screen can deliver.
Category:
Marketing and Advertising