GQ magazine shows us how not to use QR codes

QR codes still seem to be the hot topic amongst marketeers and seen as a simple and effective way to integrate off and online comms.  Unfortunately the technique is often abused and many executions offer a poor user journey and rarely add value.

A recent example I saw where the full journey looked like it hadn’t been considered was from GQ Magazine.

The article in question offered extra video content around the feature but to my disappointment, when I scanned the code with my iPhone it took me to a page on the site, not optimised for handsets that informed me that I needed to install the Flash player.

Now I realise that some handsets can view Flash content but it would have been better to use a HTML player on a mobile optimised site.  A quick win would have been to use GQ’s YouTube channel which has far better experience on a handset.

Many brands see QR codes as a quick win, easy to execute and implement.  Unfortunately few ask themselves what the user journey and experience is like once the codes has been scanned.  If they did I think we would see a lot less of them.

Adapt your techniques to an idea, not an idea to your techniques.

This quote from Bill Bernbach is more relevant now than it ever has been.

Message in a bottle

This is a great idea from Max Arlestig and Maximilian Gebhardt.

From the simple action of opening that first bottle of beer, they have left the door open and allowed for a deeper engagement with the brand, which in this case is to propagate the message ‘invite your friends over for a beer’.

You can’t change your passion

A guy can change anything. His face, his home, his family, his girlfriend, his religion, his God. But there’s one thing he can’t change. He can’t change his passion…

A quote that stuck with me from the film ‘The Secret in Their Eyes’.

A change in direction

I’ve been blogging for a few years now, both on here and as a guest and in that time I have written and covered a whole host of topics.

Recently after looking for a link in a earlier post i started to skim the headlines and I couldn’t help but feel I have strayed away from the original goal of the blog which was to Help brands tell better stories.

It was a shot in the arm but a good one and the up shot from this has been for me to strip back a lot of the original content which doesn’t fit with the original goal. Its been painful to see it all disappear but I feel its an important step non the less to ensure the underlying goal and content/message that remains is clear and has room to breath.

“We need more ‘Likes’” is the new “Make the logo bigger”

Probably my shortest post ever but this statement says a lot about what im seeing and hearing right now.

Cassius get mouthy

When I first saw the video to ‘I love u so’ on Q Music at the start of this year I thought it was a great idea and execution. If you haven’t seen it check out the video below but basically the band have used an iPhone with a singing mouth – Cassius have always had a track record of really creative music videos and this was no different.

Alongside with it being a great video and a great song, it wasn’t long before I fired up iTunes to download the track.

Imagine my surprise (and delight) when the search results came back and not only did I see the E.P. but the singing mouth app used on the video as well.

For the next hour I recreated my own version of the Cassius video (entertaining my wife at the same time) whilst exploring YouTube, watching several versions from other people and even discovering new mixes of the song.

Amongst all of this fun there is a serious point. Cassius have not only demonstrated how to tell and execute a great story but its a great example of multi-channel marketing which surprisingly didn’t focus or centre around Facebook.

And its on the question of Facebook where I wonder what would have happened if they had integrated the campaign with their fan page? Could they have seen even more engagement and message propagation?

My new favourite iPhone App

When im not working I like to unwind by taking to the hills and exploring one of my other passions – mountain biking. Normally the two don’t cross paths until recently, when while reading a copy of Dirt Mountain Bike Magazine I read about their new iPhone App.

MPORA describe their iPhone App as a collection of the best in action sports videos. You can filter by sport, search for the clips, record and upload your own videos. All great features but im sure you will agree all pretty standard stuff and I have to admit after reading the description I was sceptical – yet another app from a publisher just for the sake of it. Well, how wrong I was and it has nothing to do with the any hidden ground breaking features, just great, high quality, relevant content.

The beauty of the App is that it doesn’t try and compete with the offline publication and just offer the same content but in a different format. Far from it. Instead its looks to explore these stories further, giving the reader the opportunity for a deeper, richer experience and connection with the Dirt brand – I just can’t put it down.

Lastly when you hear a great story you can’t help but share it with people. So far I have told two of my friends whom I regularly ride with to download the App and both have been impressed with the content. Im just hoping MPORA build on this success and release an iPad version soon!

New D&AD initiative launched

D&AD launched a new initiative last week called the White Pencil.

The White Pencil is for a piece of creative work that changes the world for the better. The first organisation D&AD has chosen to support is Peace One Day.

Its an amazing challenge that’s been laid down and im hopefully the result is creative that changes the world for the better.

For anyone interested the brief is available here.

The passion of Stone Island

People who know me wont be surprised to hear that I have a soft spot for Stone Island.

Not only do they make great clothes but I love the fact that each piece has its own story of how it was conceived and what makes it different from anything you have seen before.

This passion and story inspired me to post a clip of CEO Carlo Rivettiour giving a tour of the Stone Island HQ – it’s truely an inspiration to anyone who is passionate about there discipline or craft.