Conceived by BBDO Bangkok for Thailand-based DIY store HomePro, the creators of the initiative realized that those who can’t afford proper accommodation were using old advertisement boards as makeshift walls for their homes. Instead of its usual road-side billboards, HomePro called on the creative agency to build more sturdy boards which had the advertisement on one side, with pleasant wallpaper and fittings such as shelves and hangers on the other. When those scavenging for materials eventually took the boards, they were able to create a safer home as well as enjoy more pleasant and practical surroundings. The video below shows how the campaign worked:

Thailand billboards can be used to build homes when they’re not in use [Springwise]

The Big MaK is a custom LEGO McDonald’s food and drink themed BattleMech created by LEGO enthusiasts and builders Sean and Steph Mayo (aka “Siercon and Coral“). Much like the Star Wars Charity Characters that we wrote about in the past, this build was also donated to Creations for Charity, a fundraising event where LEGO builders worldwide donate their creations to sell and raise money to purchase LEGO sets for underprivileged children.

The Big MaK, A Custom LEGO McDonald’s Themed BattleMech [Laughingsquid]

FedEx has launched a new campaign and this time it promotes a brand new app on Facebook.  The new app highlights that they can help your business grow better than a cheesy advertising jingle.  FedEx invites customers to input their business details which then become customizable parts of their very own ‘jingle’.  It’s another way FedEx is looking to increase engagement within its fast growing social community on Facebook.

The app is designed to be entertaining, interactive and a unique experience, taking the idea of “solutions that matter” from a reverse angle:  there are many things FedEx can do to help your business succeed; a cheesy ‘Jingle’ isn’t one of them.

The “Jingle Studio” app was created by BBDO NY, working with Caviar and Haus.  It juxtaposes a low-fi interface with a new text-to-singing technology.

Watch the videos to find out more!

Budclock for Budweiser (Ambient) from gilda valle on Vimeo.

Happy hour always ends and the sensation that you couldn¹t make the most of it remains. It would be great if the length of the Happy Hour could depend on the consumer and not the bar.

With this insight, Rivas Herrera / Y&R Ecuador developed BUDCLOCK for its client, BUDWEISER.

The BUDCLOCK has a clock installed that shows the time left for the Happy Hour to end. For every BUDWEISER bought, the consumer can addition a minute to the Happy Hour.

We all know adverts are a necessary evil, which is why different companies are trying to make them more personalized, more engaging or just plain get rid of them. In a recently granted patent, Sony outlines its ideas for next-gen advertising on network-connected devices — essentially to make it more interactive. Many of the instructional diagrams involve PS3 accessories in the home setting, but the focus isn’t just on adverts as mini-games, which itself is nothing new. Other suggestions for keeping your interest include in-ad purchasing, casting votes or selecting the genre of commercials. To speed up, or get ads off your screen, Sony would have you performing small tasks or — more sinisterly — shouting brand names when prompted. Whether such immersive advertising will ever be employed is anyone’s guess, but we’re sure you’re smart enough to know they’re just tricks. So who’s up for a McDonald’s then?

Sony patent wants to make advertising more interactive [Engadget]

After you’ve foolishly walked away from your Land Rover to explore a mirage in the Arabian desert, you’ve found yourself lost. What to do?

Thank goodness for this survival guide that explains how to keep yourself alive with tips on dealing with scorching temperatures, building shelters, lighting a fire and so on. The best thing is: you can eat the book!

Actually the whole thing is a clever ad campaign by Y&R Dubai ad agency for Land Rover:

Y&R Dubai researched every indigenous animal and plant, people could encounter in the Arabian Desert and how they could be used to survive. They studied the topography of the region to guide people to safety. The agency used a reflective packaging similar to army rations, which could be used to signal for help, and bound the book with a metal spiral, which could be used for cooking. Finally, the agency even took an extra step so that in case of emergency, people could always EAT the book. It was made out of edible ink and paper, and it had a nutritional value close to that of a cheeseburger.

In Case of Emergency, Eat This Book [Neatorama]

The Netherlands Burger King team has released a highly artistic marketing campaign. In contrast to the usual fast food advertisements that feature appetizing displays of company menus, this project features a novel collaboration with the beauty industry.

The eclectic display of brown, yellow, green and white-tinged eye make-up presents a new approach to public relations. Altogether depicting a sesame seed bun encasing pickles, onions and a charcoal beef patty, the Netherlands-approved scheme targets a beauty-savvy female audience, and especially those with a stake in the cosmetics sector.

Hamburger EyeShadow Adverts [TrendHunter]

The Cool Cut Cap is a simple marketing tool for brands that is cheap and effective. This unique cap is made from a single sheet of laminated card that folds up into a fitted cap with a peak (like a trucker or golf cap).

It changes promotions and gives room for new promotional tools, the caps can have a message, concept, be a coupon, absolutely anything!

The idea behind the paper cap, is to have a simple branded item as cheap as possible. This will mean the large brands can buy in bulk and give away to fans at stadiums. Specially soccer and cricket, where supporters are sitting in the sun. Imagine a whole stadium with a branded cap!

Idea submitted by Sarah Lloyd. Thanks!

Coca-Cola – cooling, refreshing and heavenly! The name itself induces a feeling of thirst that can only be quenched by one of their drinks. If the name is so famous, the bottles are even more recognizable! Kids far and wide can probably draw them, no problem! Now these iconic little bottles are getting a high-fashion makeover thanks to some of the biggest names in the Italian fashion industry. As part of its “Tribute to Fashion” charity project, Coca Cola has roped in designers like Rosella Jardini (Moschino), Donatella Versace, Angela Missoni, Alberto Ferreti, Consuelo Castiglioni, Anna Molinari (Blumarine) and Etro to create limited edition bottles.

Coca Cola’s “Tribute to Fashion” limited edition bottles [Gizmodiva]

A digital ad experiment is underway in India that could, if proved successful, migrate to other markets around the global.

En Route Media and Buzzr.in are partnering to deliver ads to passengers riding in the private taxi service operator EasyCabs.

They will be delivered on En Route Media’s recently launched digital network of smart screens in radio taxis. Buzzr.in touts itself as the first Indian deal site to offers deals through digital signage. By placing its ads in taxicabs it expects to be able to tap a wider, more mobile and perhaps affluent audience.

Indian Companies Experiment with Digital Ads in Taxicabs [MarketingvVOX]

Marketing often borders on the inappropriate, hugging the line between what is acceptable and what is not. It’s playing on the edge that gets people’s attention, especially when it comes to the positioning of useful services in unusual contexts. Anywho’s reverse phone number finder, for example, allows you to search for a person or business’s address by entering their phone number. On its face this may seem like a bizarre service, until you realize it also allows you to identify anomalous incoming numbers. What at first seems dubious can quickly turn helpful.

One could say the same thing about the use of audio spotlighting in marketing campaigns, an increasingly frequent practice used by some of the biggest corporations on the planet. Audio spotlighting is the act of projecting a “beam” of sound in a certain direction so that it will only be heard by a person walking in that general space. It has been used in a number of marketing campaigns. Street marketing for A&E’s “Paranormal Activity” involved the use of audio spotlighting that targeted passersby in New York and Los Angeles with reverberating questions, “Who’s there? Who said that?” Last year, Boston’s Pops Holiday concert series used it for promotional purposes. Blue Blast Media used holosonic sound to advertise “NASCAR Summer Series on TNT” in the Charlotte Epicenter. The sounds of revving engines and AC/DC’s “T.N.T” met people who passed within a certain region of the Epicenter’s courtyard, drawing their attention to a larger than life billboard festooned with signage.

One could ask whether this practice borders on unethical, seeing as how it seems on its face to be used to initially disorient a person and make them more susceptible to advertising. But a reality to consider is that many merchants and agencies use holosonic sound in order to reduce the noise of their adverts. This is a convenience that benefits other merchants and local businesses as well as people who desire a less boisterous public sphere.

There’s also the practical uses audio spotlighting can have in educational settings, such as in museums and libraries. Imagine strolling through a museum and being able to glean information about an exhibit without disrupting others. It would allow libraries to impart information to readers without disturbing the peace. Holosonic sound has been used in all kinds of settings, marketing campaigns, trade shows, office reception areas, etc. It’s a technology that demonstrates the ability and desire on the part of marketers to imbue clever new techniques with practical advantages. Time will tell whether consumers view an application like holosonic sound beams as intrusions or novel conveniences.

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