Author Archives: Alice Xiang

From Fingertips to Your Lips – A Glass of Wine Delivered at a Touch of a Screen

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We all can attest to the frustration of trying to get a drink at a crowded bar. Now, beacon technology allows the drink to come to you as you lounge around talking about rich people things on the beach in Cannes, France.

An app created specifically for the renowned Cannes Lions festival, Rosé Time allows VIP attendees to order free glasses of rosé wine to be delivered to their precise location.

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Here’s how it works: as you walk into the VIP section of Cannes Lions Beach, a simple beacon-triggered notification will be sent to your Apple Watch that says, “Rosé Time?”. All you have to do is download the Rosé Time app first, click yes, and a free glass of the pink drink will be sent to your hands. The app, created by Urban Airship and Intergalactic, will only be active Monday through Thursday, June 22-25, from noon to 6 p.m.

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Why it’s hot:

Beacon technology is ingenious. It’s easy and it is the perfect way to offer contextual targeting to audiences where they will pay attention the most – on their smart devices. At a festival with the biggest of the big advertising minds, this is a great way to show the possibility of this sort of technology and create an experience that emphasizes the convenience and ease a simple app can bring. Although this app shows a very limited scope of what geolocation devices can do, it is certainly an interesting idea that can be built upon to create even better, even more efficient experiences.

Besides, sometimes you just need a drink now.

Read more here.

Finger Lickin’ Goodbye to Actual Talking Over Lunch

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KFC might be Finger Lickin’ Good but those fingers after grabbing a drumstick and some fries are good for no screen.

Good thing KFC has come up with a solution for protecting smartphone screens from the secret ingredients in the famous fried chicken. The KFC Type Tray allows you to eat all the fried chicken your heart desires while answering emails, notifications, and updating your social media about how cool the new gadget is.

This slick reusable and rechargeable keyboard was launched in Germany and connects to a phone via Bluetooth. Although fully branded with KFC on every crevice, these keyboards were so popular that each one handed out during the promotion was swiped home.

Why it’s hot (or not?)

Although inarguably very cool, do we really need another reason to not talk to each other over lunch and only look at our screens? It’s a great idea in concept to be given one of these with an order of fried chicken, bringing a new level of tech into the fast paced world of fast food, but it also brings up some potential questions. Like, how do you switch mobile apps without touching the phone? Why can’t you just not look at your phone for half an hour? Did napkins disappear as new technology appears – can’t you just wipe your hands and then touch your phone? Things to consider.

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From Grocery List to Packing List: How One Airline Got Consumers to Buy Their Holiday Ticket from a Snack Bag

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In a clever creative stunt to distinguish itself from other airlines (who typically rely on online bookings), Transavia decided to take the process of ordering tickets offline and into the aisles of grocery stores and vending machines.

The tickets come in three varieties: gummy bears, potato chips, and cereal bars, each corresponding to one of three destinations – a bag of gummy bears will take you to Lisbon, potato chips will fly you to Barcelona, and the cereal bar can whisk you away to Dublin.

With the purchase of any of these snacks, a quick scan of the QR code to take you to the booking page, and a special discount voucher on the inside of the packaging, it aims to portray the idea that Transavia’s plane tickets are so cheap (and easy to book!), it’s like buying a bag of snacks.

Why It’s Hot:

There seems to be a clutter of different budget airlines all competing to get travelers to use them. This may especially be true in Europe, where there are airlines like RyanAir that may feel like a bus in the sky but can fly across Europe in (sometimes) under 100 Euros. This campaign is a perfect way to disrupt that sea of sameness in airline marketing techniques. By venturing out into a territory that has never been advertised on, it creates a very surprising and innovative idea to bring this brand into the minds of consumers when they are least expecting it – in the grocery store, while conducting an average everyday task.

The best part is that most airplane tickets are booked by consumers actively seeking out the discounts, whether through codes that they find online or deals through emails, but this campaign flips that old traditional way of thinking completely on its side. It offers a new way to convince someone, who may have not even been thinking of traveling, to indulge on a new adventure somewhere for very cheap.

Read more here.