Want to catch up with what happened in the digital world this week? Our weekly cheat sheet will fill you in on everything you missed while you were scrambling to meet deadlines and put out fires.
Read about the interactive Lexus ad in Sports Illustrated, the Pinterest companion tool by Zappos, a revamped Games.com from AOL, Gucci’s pinnable banner ad, and Tumblr’s Photoset app!
1. Lexus places an interactive print ad inside Sports Illustrated
This week, we got a look at CinePrint, a Lexus-created technology that can be used to animate print ads. An upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated will feature an ad for the Lexus 2013 ES that “comes to life” when it is placed on top of an iPad. Lower the lights and hit the play button, and the Lexus in the ad changes colors, looks like it’s moving, and switches on its headlights. This continues the trend of brands and magazines working to make print ads more interactive and engaging for readers. The CW and Entertainment Weekly attempted a similar feat last week.
2. Zappos launches a new Pinterest companion tool
Zappos has launched its Pinterest companion tool, PinPointing. For those familiar with the “Shop the Look” feature found in fashion magazines, the concept behind PinPointing is simple. We all want to dress like our favorite celebrities, but few of us have the budget necessary to replicate an outfit exactly. Here is where PinPointing comes in. Users can click on the PinPointing tool, type in the name of a pinner or board that they’re coveting, and PinPointing will recommend Zappos products that are similar in style or theme, but far more attainable. We’re looking forward to seeing more brands conceive similar ways to monetize the enthusiasm found on Pinterest and similar sites.
3. AOL revamps Games.com
AOL continues the trend of brands making websites more mobile-friendly. This week, Games.com received its first revamp in two years with the intention of providing players with a better cross-platform gaming experience. The new site will offer 5,000 free games, including titles that were built in HTML 5, so that players can enjoy them on their smartphones and tablets, in addition to their PCs. The new site will also have personalization and social components. In September, it was reported that more people play games on mobile devices than they do on video game consoles.
4. Gucci creates a Pinterest-friendly banner ad
Gucci has introduced “pinnable ads” as part of its Fall/Winter digital campaign. A banner ad that will be displayed on fashion-centric websites including Style.com and Polyvore.com will include the “Pin it” button (that is quickly popping up on many on-line retails sites) on the bottom left-hand corner. When a user clicks on it, they are given the option to pin 1 of 2 images: an image of the entire ad or just an image of the shoe that the ad is selling. Both images will link to Gucci.com and Gucci will be capturing information on how the ad is shared on Pinterest. The ability to easily share photos and other product information is important as the concept of social shopping spreads.
5. Tumblr rolls out Photoset app for iOS
On Thursday, Tumblr rolled out its new Photoset app for iOS. The app will let users upload and arrange multiple photos on one screen, creating a photo set that tells a more full story than one lone photo on its own. Users can add captions and share with family and friends via e-mail, Tumblr, Twitter, and more. Photoset is meant to be a standalone tool, and can be used in conjunction with a Tumblr account or not. Mobile photo-sharing apps have been on the rise, and Photoset differentiates itself just enough for consumers to see its usefulness.
Image source: Google Images
