Mobile Digest #01#

In the first of our new guest articles, David Murphy, editor of Mobile Marketing Magazine, rounds up the highlights of the last month in mobile marketing.

“Welcome to the first in a series of regular columns, in which I have been invited to bring you up to speed with some of the key events in the mobile marketing world these past few weeks.”

AdMob done deal

By far the biggest thing to happen in November was Google’s purchase of mobile ad network AdMob for a tidy $750m. This has given the industry a massive boost, the hope being that those brands that have so far been sitting on the sidelines will feel that Google’s move into mobile gives the channel a heap more credibility and start allocating budgets to it. Read on…

Forever apps?

The iPhone was in the news, with Orange launching the handset to its customers on 10 November, and Tesco Mobile revealing that it would begin selling the handset soon. The MVNO (Mobile Virtual network Operator) hopes to have the device available before Christmas. Perhaps the most interesting piece of news around the iPhone though, was the revelation that there are now a cool 100,000 applications available for download in Apple’s App Store. Read on…

There are two schools of thoughts on apps. Some see them as the future, while others think they will be a passing fad and that they will eventually be superseded by mobile internet sites, as mobile browsers become more sophisticated and network coverage improves. Whoever is right, you can’t deny the splash that Apple has made with its apps, leaving traditional mobile phone companies trailing in its wake.

Arriva has arrived

The third piece of news that caught my eye may look pretty insignificant at first glance. People who travel on Arriva buses can now pay for their ticket via their phone. "Big deal" I hear you say. But this story caught my eye for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the service is powered by a company called mBlox and its 'Sender Pays' solution. What this means is that Arriva can promote the service to its customers with an absolute guarantee that they will not incur any charges in having the application sent to their phone, or using it thereafter.

The fear of data charges is widely acknowledged as preventing many people from going online on their phone. I also like the fact that this is just one more small, everyday thing you can do on your phone. As consumers get used to doing more of these little things – buying bus tickets, paying for car parking, receiving money-off coupons – on their phone, they are going to be more receptive to the next thing that comes along, all of which is great news for brands and the mobile marketing business. Read on…

Look out for December's post from David and if you can't wait for that, keep up with all the latest mobile news here.

Digital Jam digs Fantasy Festival

Every fortnight, like-minded Wunderman colleagues get together to indulge our passion and appetite for all things digital. We swap links, engage in 'wide-ranging' discussion and vote on the best online content. We call it Digital Jam and everyone is welcome.

Last week's highlights included the Panasonic 8xLife Facebook campaign, dramatising their new camera’s optical zoom. The challenge? Become a Facebook fan and submit images that make everyday objects look larger or smaller than they actually are. It’s certainly a cost-effective campaign, but time will tell if it’s a big enough idea to give other user- generated content photo sites from Ford and Nikon a run for their money.

We had a look at the introduction of high resolution 1080p videos to YouTube (select 1080p in the lower right corner) which brings whole new level of resolution to enjoy.

Orange’s Friend-o-Meter is an interesting (some might say intrusive!) use of social networks, with a light-hearted quiz about friends by mining their profiles (can you remember which of your friends are a Taurus?)

The site that got the biggest thumbs-up from the Digital Jammers was Sony’s Fantasy Festival. This site is a novel twist on the old fantasy football league formula, asking consumers to submit their ultimate music festival line-up. Users compete for the festival with the most ‘buzz’, which is calculated by plays recorded on last.fm and by blog traffic about the bands selected. The site provides a fun engagement and interaction on a cleverly designed platform for Sony to promote its electronics and music industry portfolio.

If you've seen something online that's impressed you, comment below or email us your thoughts. Keep on jammin'!

Essential grooming for Mo Bros

Movember is about having fun, growing a moustache and raising much needed funds and awareness. You might not be aware that over 35,000 men are diagnosed every year and that one man dies every hour from prostate cancer. That makes it the most common cancer for men in the UK. So please make a donation to the Wunderman London Mo Bros, so together we can 'change the face of men's health'.

Here, the legendary Moustachioed One, Tom 'Selleck' Redican, shares his grooming tips to help anyone taking part in the annual Movember fundraising festival of facial hair.

You can't just grow hair on your top lip and think that's all there is to it. Grooming your moustache takes time, care and consideration. The best tip I can give is to grow a moustache that suits your face. A moustache can enhance the image you want to portray, so a Fu Manchu or horseshoe is good for looking tough. A pencil or handlebar is good for creating an air of intelligence.

Wax lyrical
So, you've started growing your mo. Now, you've got to care for it, look after it, and nurture it. I'd recommend a moustache wax rather than gel or hairspray. Try Oregon Wildhair Moustache Wax, it really can't be beaten. It's an artisan wax made using beeswax, petroleum jelly, lanolin, and natural musk oil without perfume, so it doesn't overpower flavours like tea or coffee.

Morning regime
You should usually groom your moustache after your morning shower. Firstly, vigorously agitate your moustache with a natural bristle brush to help shape it, and, secondly, reach for the wax. Sometimes, when your moustache doesn't want to co-operate, you can use a hairdryer to warm the wax after applying. Heat one side for 10 seconds or so and then shape the moustache while the wax cools, which should take another 10 seconds. Then do the same to the other side. Apply more wax if you feel extra is needed.

Be smooth
While on the subject of maintenance, left to its own devices your moustache can become rough and uncomfortable. Using a hair conditioner every other day will ensure it is full bodied and fluffy.

So what about foods?
Easy. Creamy soups are outstanding as they can be 'flavour saved' by the moustache and savoured later. The great news is that drinking beer helps keep it moist.

And finally
If a girlfriend ever demands you remove your moustache… don't, and then find yourself a new girlfriend. Alternatively, politely inform her that 'every time a moustache is shaved an angel dies'.

And finally, if there were any doubts still lingering about the magical power of a mo… midgets with moustaches are awesome.

Yours,

The Moustachioed One

Starry eyed creativity

Update: The site discussed here has unfortunately been updated and replaced, it's therefore no longer visible at the given links.

Twice a month a group of like-minded individuals at Wunderman get together and indulge our collective digital appetite with a session of link sharing and discussion. We call this Digital Jam. Everyone is encouraged to show off the most cutting-edge content they’ve found and we vote on the best at the end.

We had an outright winner this week; the website of creative agency Wieden + Kennedy. Now we're not ones to shy away from praising other agencies when they get it right and the W+K site certainly does just that.

Every agency is eager to show off its work, sell its talents and demonstrate its innovation (we certainly are) but finding a ground-breaking way to do this is a rare and beautiful thing, the Wieden + Kennedy site is just the ticket.

Set against a backdrop of stars and mapped on a timeline is all their creative. Opening any section gives you an overview of every area connected to it – client, office, people. Clients explode like supernovas, with individual work orbiting each one, and offices grow tendrils of clients and people. Although the design at first appears cluttered, cold and mathematical, delving deeper reveals an elegant simplicity from the perceived chaos.

Having conquered the deep, starry space the W+K site then goes on to master time travel. Their full archive of work is available as far back as 1982, even previous clients that have long dissolved into space dust.

For an innovative visual way to map out every aspect of an agency this is certainly a success and it's a deserved winner of Digital Jam.

The power of attraction

A few weeks ago, a plasma ball appeared on a desk in the creative department. Pretty soon after, a steady stream of people couldn't keep their hands off it!

This glowing, mesmerising object is the inspiration behind a new Ford Focus online film, shot in Barcelona and produced by Wunderman UK. To illustrate the energising qualities of the Ford Focus, we created a giant plasma ball and put a vehicle inside it. The result is a celebration of the power of attraction.

You can feel this connection for yourself on www.discoverfordfocus.co.uk where, by using your mouse pointer, you can interact with the plasma ball and control the flowing orange light waves. You can also see and rate the version with lyrics on YouTube.

Claire Hepworth, Ford of Europe Communications Manager, said: “It’s a strong rendition of the Ford positioning of ‘Feel the difference’.”

Credits - Wunderman UK, Creative: David Harris, Richard Last, Damien Knowles, Peter West, Tim Noah and Marion Ancker; Account team: Amanda Wall, Richard Minta and Anthony Delany; Tech team: Thibault Dargeou, Dan Carter and JC Ehle; QA: Brijesh Patel.

Alex Smith and Rupert Unwin from Ridley Scott Associates. Post production by Lumiere. Music by Mark Delany and Jade Pybus. Editor, Adam Rudd (Final Cut). Directory of Photography, Paul Barton.