In true integrated fashion, TargetCast, with the help of media partner Slate, successfully put together a location-based cross platform engagement strategy designed to target the higher education community and encourage them to roll over assets with TIAA-CREF.  The program included digital banners, content syndication, and promotional ad units fueling interest for the Slate Gabfests. At the live event, there was signage, marketing collateral, live reads, as well as a special “guests of honor” dinner with TIAA-CREF participants and Gabfest and Slate talent and management. The Gabfest is a weekly podcast series operated by Slate focusing on Politics, Sports, and Culture. Collectively, the three podcast editions attract more than 1MM downloads a month. TargetCast secured a sponsorship opportunity for TIAA-CREF to take the Gabfests on the road, executing live events at key universities and institutions around the country.

TIAA-CREF, providing the higher education community with financial services, understood that engaging their participants through quality content within a venue for relevant live programming, would be a door opener to growing assets under management.  The campaigns proved highly successful with significant lift in assets under management directly attributable to the Slate Gabfest events.  The Gabfests have been recognized by AdAge as the “Best Podcast Series” recently winning their Vanguard Award in 2011 and will continue to be an integral part of TargetCast’s media strategy for TIAA-CREF into 2012.

For more information about the AdAge/Vanguard Awarded Slate Gabfest, follow this link:  http://adage.com/article/special-report-media-vanguard-awards/media-vanguard-awards-digital-natives/230922/)

As part of their integrated campaign in support of the company’s 2012 Versa Seda model, Nissan is leveraging a previously widely unexploited Apple iAd feature to help deliver the campaigns’ young, tech savvy target consumer.

The Versa iAd utilizes gyro technology–offered on the iPad and iPhone–to allow the user to take in a 360-degree view of the car as they pan their device to the left or right while viewing the ad.  True to its name, the iAd also offers elements of jazzy interaction to the experience: when a viewer shakes their phone, for example, the people in the ad will put on different hats. 

A classy convergence of technology and targeting!

Sleek, shiny, and circular. Apple’s design for their new headquarters fits the company’s aesthetics perfectly. And with a 1,000-seat auditorium, Steve Jobs will have a prime setting for his spectacular presentations.  Aiming to be environmentally friendly, the 175-acre Apple Campus 2 will heavily feature shrubbery and plants around the building with a park at the center. The proliferation of glass walls will also help promote natural light. Did I mention that the plan incorporates an on-site power plant as well?

While the plan is still pending approval by the Cupertino City Council, keep in mind that Jobs is the city’s biggest taxpayer. Even if he doesn’t get everything outlined in the current plan, he will probably come close. For more details and photos, visit this site.

In the past, brands have often either given away free products or provided some type of coupon in order to encourage trial and eventually long-term usage. We redeem the offer, maybe use it and then commit. What we don’t do is work for it….unless it’s Activate.

In LA, the company has installed human-powered vending machines. Consumers are required to pedal for 30 seconds in order to receive a free bottle of Activate…which is a really great idea to encourage instant trial. Though personally, I’d rather spend $1.50 on the nearest Coke machine.

A new 3D technology called Unlimited Detail showcases how their technology will greatly improve in all genre of 3D. Using point cloud data, it can improve the amount of details by 100,000 times than the current standard. Point cloud data give artists unlimited freedom on how much details they can put into their 3D models. This technology eliminates the limitation on polygon count given to the artists and eliminates the need to create multiple detail levels of the same model. This will be the next break through in 3D technology. Check out the video.

In 48 hours it will all be over.  For some, it will be a celebration, for others it will be  the sad realization that they didn’t win at Cannes. 

This fancy table will be one of the many places that agency CEOs and clients will discuss why they did (or didn’t) win.  I’m sure some of us judges may be questioned or congratulated about a decision to two.  While our responsibility was very demanding, I’m very proud of the decisions we all made. 

As you know, the media competition here has gotten very competitive.  After viewing much of the 2,600 submissions, I can say that great work is being done in large and small markets all over the world.  Big advertisers like P&G, Coke, Samsung and Target are keeping their reputations up while other, smaller marketers are using their agility to design and implement things that are just wonderful. 

What’s my tip for succeeding at Cannes?  Here it goes: make sure you develop your media ideas together with your creative partner, make sure your idea comes our of the brand’s positioning and strategy, make the idea big (or seem important), make sure the idea is new (first time is best), make the idea unusual and most importatnly, make sure you have real results that demonstrate the idea worked. 

Watch for the annoucement of our winners. 

Steve

Our table on the last day of culling down the submissions

Yesterday was the last day of our “culling down” process.  We saw another 110 submissions.

So now that that process is over I do have some observations.  Some agencies are very smart about submitting.  Once they’ve created their case, they seem to submit it to several categories.  We’ve seen cases sometimes as much as three times.

This could either be brilliant or a waste of money.  Only the outcome will prove either way.

There are several ‘jurys’.  Mine took the longest to finish.  While some people weren’t happy about that, I was quite proud.  If agencies around the world submitted their best work, the least we can do is give it strong consideration.

I know that each of my juries gave each submission its proper time.

Ok, I’ve got to go.  Today is the first day of group debate.

They say this is the hard one!

Steve

Day two of judging. Wow, we’re all tired.

Today my group viewed submissions in the Corporate Category and the Integrated Media Category.  Once again, close to 200 submissions with a short lunch break.  It was interesting to view and discuss work from Brazil, Argentina, India, France, Germany, the USA and more with other media and advertising professionals.

While it was sunny and hot outside, our group kept our cool as we pushed through all of our submissions.  Everything was judged on 1. Strategy/Idea, 2. Creativity and 3. Results.  Even though (I’m sure) everyone read the rules for submitting work, it was amazing to us that some entries didn’t have convincing results.  What we and clients look for is straight business results.  Lacking that, it’s nice to see brand health metrics rise.  Finally, if none of that’s available, give us something….anything.

At the end of the day, we felt really good about our decisions and closed the book on another day of judging.

On a softer side, I was able to enjoy fine French dining at a fabulous restaurant called “Restaurant De Bacon”.  No it didn’t specialize in bacon.  It served some of the best seafood in the area with great wine all topped of with a Napoleon…of course.

Day three tomorrow….more notes to follow.

Steve

The Yachts at Cannes: Not for us but nice to look at

So, they take us to this beautiful place, Cannes, France.  Introduce us to top media professionals from around the world. Show us the beach, the yachts and treat us to delicious food.  Then the work starts.

Today we spent 9 hours judging submissions for the best creative media work globally.  My team judged almost 200 submissions.  I hear that there are over 2,000 total submissions.  Wow!

It’s really nice to see how media work from many countries looks.  It’s a big world but, the media practice is fairly consistent.

200 more tomorrow.  We’re all getting ready.

This week, Steve Farella departs for France where he will participate in the 2011 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as a Media Juror.  Steve joins a panel of top executives from media networks across the globe, including representatives from Brazil, Russia, India, Japan and the United Kingdom.  Steve brings a unique perspective to the group as the leader of one of the world’s few independently owned and operated media agencies.

Terry Savage, Chairman of Cannes Lions, said of the jurors’ role:  ”The outcome of the judging process is crucial to the future of the industry.  We can never underestimate the role that these talented professionals will take on when they vote, deliberate and award the best work currently out there.  It’s an honor to have such authorities on board for this year’s awards.”

We wish Steve safe travels.  We all will be keeping up with the events in France as they unfold.